Commanders will hold press conferences today to officially introduce new offensive and defensive coordinators

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With a ton of cap space and lots of holes to fill on the roster, the Commanders are set to be quite active when free agency opens in a month’s time.

So with that in mind, it’s time to start previewing free agency. If you’re new here, I typically preview free agency with posts evaluating a few potential free agent fits at different positions of need. I try to look at a high profile free agent, a good value free agent and an under the radar option for each position. Sometimes I can’t find a good fit at all three levels, which is the case for today’s position. Perhaps the Commanders biggest need, and it has been for nearly two years now, is edge rusher. Top tier edge rushers rarely make it to the open market and the ones that do often get very significant contracts.

The twist for the Commanders this year is that the profile of edge rusher they’re looking for this year is potentially quite different from the profile they would have wanted last year. With Daronte Jones coming in as the new defensive coordinator, the Commanders could be shifting to more of a 3-4 defense, which Jones ran in Minnesota. Most defenses are hybrids now, with both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts, but the Vikings used their edge rushers in different roles to most. Rather than having them just line up and rush the passer, the Vikings relied on their blitz schemes to generate pressure, which often required those edge rushers to drop into coverage to enable others to blitz instead.

So instead of just a pure pass rusher, the Commanders need to find someone that perhaps isn’t quite as strong of a pass rusher, but someone that is comfortable dropping into coverage. On top of that, the Commanders run defense on the edge last year was poor, so they could use with someone that can set a firm edge in the run game too. It’s not easy to find profiles of players that are as well-rounded as that, which makes this a tough task for Washington. But there’s a few potential options for the Commanders to pursue this offseason.

High Profile: Jaelan Phillips, Eagles, 26.

Phillips may well be the top pass rusher on the market, certainly of those that are under 30 years old at least. It will be interesting to see if he even hits the open market. The Eagles traded for him during the season, giving up a third round pick to the Dolphins in hopes that Phillips could boost their edge rush. I’m not sure Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would give up such a high asset without the intention of extending Phillips to keep him around. But the Eagles only have $20 million in cap space currently without a ton of obvious moves to get more. Phillips could get a contract in that $20 million per year range, which wouldn’t all count against the cap but take up a pretty significant chunk of it.

So if Phillips does end up hitting the market, the Commanders could have plenty of interest. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 266 pounds and has an explosive athletic profile. His pass rush, while not necessarily as refined or consistent as you’d like it to be, is clearly a strength that would be a nice boost to the Commanders.

Commanders Roundtable

One assistant who could leave Commanders 2026 staff; one who could join

For the second time within a 24 hour span, John Keim of ESPN noted the uncertainty around Brian Johnson’s role on the staff moving forward after he was passed over for the offensive coordinator vacancy.

Johnson was also in the mix in the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator search before head coach Sean Payton turned to a promotion for Davis Webb just three days after news broke, but does that mean a return to Washington remains in play? For a staff that has inexperience questions on offense, Johnson would serve as the latest notable, yet understandable, departure if it does materialize as it’s being speculated.

Keim also pointed to Wes Welker, the former Patriots and longtime NFL receiver who has shifted to coaching and approaches his tenth year doing so, though he served as a personnel analyst with Washington in 2025. Whether Welker takes over the wide receiver room or serves as an assistant in the room, similar to Etling, is unclear, though he’d get a chance to build on his experience.

After beginning his coaching career in 2017 as an offensive and special teams assistant for two seasons with the Houston Texans, Welker transitioned to the wide receivers coach with the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons beginning in 2019 before taking the same role over the same span with the Miami Dolphins in 2022 where he was able to follow Mike McDaniel.

For a wide receiver room that needs a major upgrade in talent this offseason with Deebo Samuel set to depart while Noah Brown and Treylon Burks join the over 30 free agents this offseason, Welker’s possible fit could add a jolt of optimism especially for its slot production given the former Patriots’ reputation as a game-changing slot receiver.

[W]ith Washington set to make its coordinator hires official, uncertainty remains around the makeup of the rest of the 2026 staff as head coach Dan Quinn looks to finalize over the next week.

A to Z Sports

Adam Schefter revealed the Commanders swung big on head coach Mike Macdonald with a lot of interest, but he picked the Seahawks because of their GM

“When he was coming out, he interviewed in a bunch of places,” Schefter said. “He interviewed in Carolina. He interviewed in Washington. Seattle was one of his last interviews. And the interesting thing was, the Washington Commanders had a high level of interest in hiring him, and his wife, Stephanie, was a cheerleader for the Washington Football Team.”

“Stephanie’s family is from that area, so you would have thought no brainer. Wife is from the Washington area, wife worked for the Washington Football Team, like that’s where he’s going. And even when he was out in Seattle visiting, the Commanders got him on the phone and made one last-ditch effort to try to get him to come back to Washington from Seattle, Washington, where he’s visiting.”

“Mike went there because the main reason was that he believed in the general manager, John Schneider,” Schefter added. “He just trusted and believed in him. Felt like that was the right guy for him, and John Schneider rewarded his efforts.”

Riggo’s Rag

7 tricky free agent decisions that Adam Peters has to navigate

Treylon Burks – Commanders WR

The Commanders took a chance on wide receiver Treylon Burks when the Tennessee Titans finally gave up on their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It was a slow burn in many respects, but the flashes demonstrated by the pass-catcher could result in another short-term deal to see if any more untapped potential remains.

Burks has the physical profile that new offensive coordinator David Blough could be looking for. At the same time, the Commanders need to significantly upgrade their receiving room, and they have the cash to do so.

It’s a tricky one with Burks. He’s got all the athletic attributes in the world, but it just hasn’t come together consistently enough. Much will depend on the money his representatives are asking for, of course. If that is too high for Adam Peters, he won’t hesitate to go in a different direction.

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

How the Cowboys will stock the fridge for their new defensive coaching staff

The Cowboys’ front office does make a concerted effort to buy some extra groceries for their new defensive coordinator. It never comes in the form of lucrative free agent spending, but some years they are more active than others. And the players that work out for them always seem to be a surprise. Did anyone expect the trade for Rolando McClain to work out? Who would have guessed that giving Aldon Smith another shot would produce dividends? And despite Micah Parsons being a high draft pick, he took the league by storm.

Additionally, the years they spent the most on defensive free agents (2020 and 2025) are their worst defensive years in team history. Of course, much of the blame for those seasons falls on a coaching staff that had their players running amok. Getting pricy guys isn’t the answer. Getting the right type of players who fit with what the new coordinator is trying to do will give them the best results.

What does this mean for the Parker-led defense?

More of the same. Low-cost free agents will be on their shopping list, but expect them to snag a few who played for one of the many new coaches on the staff. To fix the defense, it will take better talent, but it will also take guys who can confidently follow the scheme of the new defense. And speaking of better talent, those two first-round draft picks will clearly be the most critical dancing chips for the new staff. Between a couple of high-upside youngsters and a handful of low-cost veteran free agents, Parker and his staff should have something to work with.

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ESPN

Veteran TE David Njoku confirms his Browns tenure is over

Njoku wrote in an Instagram post Monday night that “the time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The City of Cleveland will forever be home.”

Njoku, 29, was the subject of trade rumors before the deadline but remained in Cleveland for the rest of the 2025 season. He told reporters in November that “I’m not going nowhere. I ain’t f—ing leaving.”

As the season ended, though, Njoku acknowledged the uncertainty of his future when asked if he expected to be back. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Cleveland’s offense is set for “significant turnover” as the team, under new coach Todd Monken, looks to rebuild a unit that has scored the fewest points in the league over the past two seasons.

Njoku has missed 11 games because of injury in the past two seasons. His production also dipped in 2025, finishing with 33 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Njoku’s 8.9 yards per reception was the lowest in a season since he was limited to four games in 2017 because of injury.

Looking for QB answers this offseason? Good luck…it’s a bad year to need a new signal caller

The 2026 NFL draft class isn’t particularly strong overall, and it is extremely thin at quarterback. After presumed first selection Fernando Mendoza (Heisman winner, national champion at Indiana and Raiders QB in a little under three months), the best options are Alabama’s Ty Simpson and … probably LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier? This class might play out like 2022, when only one quarterback went in Round 1 (Kenny Pickett, No. 20) and only four went in the first two days.

While last offseason included free agent quarterbacks such as (Super Bowl champion) Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers, this offseason’s pool includes … well, Daniel Jones (off an Achilles injury) and Aaron Rodgers (one year older). Because Jones and Rodgers are both strongly suspected to stay with their current teams, the biggest contract might fall to Packers backup and quality spot starter Malik Willis. Or could the Falcons’ Kirk Cousins get one more solid contract after Atlanta releases him before the new league year begins March 11?

Front Office Sports

Kirk Cousins Weighs Playing and TV With Falcons Future in Doubt

“I’ll keep an open mind,” Cousins told Front Office Sports on Friday at Radio Row in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX. “I want to play. I feel really rejuvenated. I think it was great to be able to have a great run down the stretch with the Falcons. Even though we didn’t make the playoffs, we were able to win the last four games. [I] really have a joy playing, enjoyed the guys, and so want to get back out there and be able to get back at it again.”

Cousins has made more than $90 million in Atlanta the past two seasons after signing a four-year, $180 million contract in 2024. If he’s still on the roster on March 15, he’s guaranteed another $67.1 million. If the Falcons release him before that, he isn’t owed money, but will still count as a $35 million salary cap hit in 2026.

“We’ll see what opportunities present themselves, and keep an open mind,” Cousins said Friday. “But those conversations will happen in March, and I’ll be interested to see where they lead.”

Off the field, Cousins last month worked with CBS as a guest analyst on its The NFL Today pregame studio show during the divisional and conference championship rounds of the playoffs. He received mostly positive reviews as a sports media pundit and is intrigued by the idea of doing more work full-time, although it’s not something he’s ready to guarantee just yet.

NFL Draft

The Athletic (paywall)

Dane Brugler’s 2026 NFL Draft rankings: Who are the top 100 prospects in this year’s class?aBit o’Twitter

Commanders will hold press conferences today to officially introduce new offensive and defensive coordinators

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