{"id":749010,"date":"2026-02-13T10:26:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/749010\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:26:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:26:22","slug":"nfl-free-agency-33-guys-who-could-potentially-be-added-to-commanders-roster-in-the-next-4-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/749010\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL free agency – 33 guys(!) who could potentially be added to Commanders\u2019 roster in the next 4 weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, I published a post on the Feed<\/a> asking for 3 free agent suggestions \u2014 one offensive, one defensive, and one player from the Commanders 2025 roster to be extended.<\/p>\n

The responses were a bit more widely spread than I\u2019d expected \u2014 which is a good thing, I believe. I got 12 suggested skill players on offense and 13 players on defense (so, 25 in total), and, what I thought was a surprisingly high number \u2014 8 Commanders free agents recommended for extensions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wherever you see a number immediately to the left of the player\u2019s name, it indicates that more than one commenter mentioned the player; the number indicates how many commenters did so.<\/p>\n

I thought I\u2019d offer a brief thought about each of these players and invite your thoughts on these free agents or any others you\u2019d like to discuss. The \u201clegal tampering period\u201d is now 23 days away.<\/p>\n

If Adam Peters extends Chris Paul, then the team will return its entire end-of-season starting offensive line in 2026, and that seems valuable.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen a broad range of estimates on Paul\u2019s market value. I, personally, see him signing a deal on the lower end of the market. I simply don\u2019t think he has the history or leverage to demand a high-end contract.<\/p>\n

Of course, if continuity is the highest priority, then there\u2019s almost no market price that would be too much to pay the left guard. However, the Commanders have a newly promoted offensive coordinator and a newly promoted offensive line coach. Change is in the wind, and the blocking scheme could be different this year.<\/p>\n

The Commanders probably have options.<\/p>\n

Heading into OTAs & training camp last year, Brandon Coleman appeared to be the presumptive starting left guard. He is on a rookie contract and has 2 years of development with the current coaching staff.<\/p>\n

Also, I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s anything that made Chris Paul \u2018special\u2019 enough to say he\u2019s more than a league-average offensive guard. It seems like the Commanders might be able to upgrade, save money, or do both by shopping in free agency.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t see the priority in extending Chris Paul, but I\u2019m not against it. I think he\u2019s replaceable, and that, to return, he\u2019ll have to accept an \u2018economy\u2019 contract.<\/p>\n

Maybe you feel differently. Given that Paul got more mentions than any other player in the list above, it seems like a lot of people do.<\/p>\n

I wanted to talk about Mariota next because I want to echo a little of what I said in relation to Chris Paul.<\/p>\n

Mariota would represent continuity in the face of change, with David Blough stepping up to become the OC plus new QB coaches in DJ Williams and Danny Etling.<\/p>\n

However, while the OL might need to embrace the change, retaining Mariota as Jayden Daniels\u2019 backup could provide some helpful continuity for the 3rd year QB.<\/p>\n

I had thought Mariota might be tempted to follow Kliff Kingsbury to his next team, but going to the Rams to backup Matt Stafford doesn\u2019t sound like the move that Marcus would want to make.<\/p>\n

While there is probably an opportunity to get a backup on a cheaper contract, the stability and experience that would result from a Mariota extension is probably worth the squeeze for another season.<\/p>\n

I was surprised, at the end of the season, to see that Burks caught 10 passes on 22 targets at an average of 13.0 yards per reception with 1 touchdown. It felt like he did a bit more than that \u2014 perhaps because he did it all in 8 games, with half of his targets and receptions coming in Weeks 16, 17, and 18.<\/p>\n

I like the idea of Burks returning to Washington in 2026, but only as one of many receivers competing for a spot on the roster, and only on a very affordable contract. In 4 seasons, he has 2 touchdowns and 829 receiving yards. He simply hasn\u2019t earned much more than a vet minimum deal (yet).<\/p>\n

Igbinoghene offers flexibility and has played well at times, but he\u2019s also looked bad at times.<\/p>\n

With Daronte Jones taking over the defense, I wouldn\u2019t be shocked if he wanted to teach different coverage philosophies. I further wouldn\u2019t be shocked if he wanted to bring in a CB or two with whom he is familiar and who have played in his scheme before.<\/p>\n

Igbinoghene may simply not be a good fit for what Jones wants to do defensively.<\/p>\n

If Jones wants to keep him, I would again suggest that Igbinoghene, similar to Trey Burks, has not earned a contract much beyond vet minimum. I would not be opposed to seeing him extended, but I don\u2019t see him as a priority re-sign either. I\u2019m expecting a veteran corner to be signed who can help Daronte Jones implement his system here in Washington, most likely squeezing Igbinoghene out of the picture.<\/p>\n

I was pleased when Jones was signed from New England as a free agent last March and predicted that Commanders fans would be pleasantly surprised by him.<\/p>\n

The opposite was probably true; I was unpleasantly surprised that Jones seemed to struggle on the field in 2025.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really see any reason for him to be extended. If you think otherwise, feel free to correct me in the comments.<\/p>\n

Prior to the start of the \u201825 season, I described Martin<\/a> as, \u201cmy least favorite addition to the \u201825 roster to make the 53\u201d.<\/p>\n

By Week 12, I had changed my tune, writing, \u201cA relatively spry 30 years old and on a relatively thrifty $2m contract, it\u2019s possible that Wise could reprise his role in the Commanders defense in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where I am at the moment. Martin is a low-cost defender who played well for Washington in 2025. It seems like he could fill a role for the Commanders in 2026, though he\u2019s probably one of dozens of Commanders like Deatrich Wise who could be replaced by a better, younger or cheaper option. With a brand new DC, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see new blood brought in, especially guys with experience playing under Daronte Jones in the past.<\/p>\n

I think Miller performed better in his role as a limited-snaps situational pass rusher than most imagined he would. There\u2019s probably a benefit to having a future Hall of Fame nominee on the roster. Again, I\u2019d only want to see Miller back on a low-cost deal, and I expect Daronte Jones to be the main voice to be heard in whether or not Miller should be invited to return.<\/p>\n

Goldman played on a vet minimum contract last season and probably earned every penny of it.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t like the Goldman signing in March last year and doubled down on my opinion when he made the 53-man roster prior to Week 1.<\/p>\n

By Week 12, I was of a completely different mindset: \u201cI was just WRONG in my assessment of Goldman. He is playing pretty well. He\u2019ll be 32 years old next year, so I don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll be back, but he\u2019s provided good value for his $1.03m cap hit in 2025, playing 39% of the defensive snaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Daronte Jones thinks he can contribute and wants to see Eddie Goldman back, I\u2019ve got no complaints. I figure he\u2019s even earned a bit of a raise if he stays.<\/p>\n

External defensive free agents<\/p>\n

Devin Lloyd was one of the targets listed in Mark Tyler\u2019s free agency plan<\/a> published at the end of January.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars declined Lloyd\u2019s 5th year option ahead of the \u201825 season. While he has said he\u2019d like to stay in Jacksonville, he seems to have a good chance of entering free agency.<\/p>\n

Just prior to the Pro Bowl, he said<\/a> that he\u2019d had \u201cno talks\u201d with the Jacksonville front office yet about the future, opting to focus on the Pro Bowl before free agency ramped up.<\/p>\n

Lloyd had a productive 2025, generating five interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — seven passes defensed, 1.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, a fumble recovery and 81 total tackles, including six TFLs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine a better free agent linebacker that could be signed by the Commanders to fit in with the new Daronte Jones defense. I thin he\u2019s a great free agency target for the Commanders.<\/p>\n

A year younger than Lloyd, Walker is another guy listed in Mark Tyler\u2019s January article<\/a> and he is ranked 21st on FOX Sports\u2019 top-100 free agent list<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear whether Green Bay wants to extend Walker. Some Packers fans argue that Walker hasn\u2019t lived up to<\/a> the hype of a first-round pick, but that he\u2019s a reliable player who has matured over the last four years after some hiccups in his rookie campaign. Also, Walker wears the green dot in the Packers defense, which is a factor to consider. Last season, Walker led the Packers with 128 tackles.<\/p>\n

One writer<\/a> described Green Bay\u2019s situation with Walker this way:<\/p>\n

[H]is good-but-not-great play doesn\u2019t merit them pushing all their chips into the center of the table for him either. He\u2019s in free-agent purgatory at the moment.<\/p>\n

The Packers are currently projected to be $1.4 million over the cap. Some tough decisions are coming, and Walker may be allowed to leave. Walker would likely be a positive addition for the Commanders, and isn\u2019t likely to break the bank on a free agent contract.<\/p>\n

Another player on Mark Tyler\u2019s list and #46 on the FOX Sports top-100 free agent list<\/a>, Chenal was recommended by Hogs Haven member dacrock in the Feed article. Here\u2019s what dacrock had to say about the linebacker in his detailed comment<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Chenal doesn\u2019t turn 26 until October of this year. NFL.com<\/a> lists him at 6\u20193\u201d and 250 lbs., but he offers good speed (4.53 40 time), short-area quickness (4.24 20 yd. shuttle, 6.98 3-cone) and explosiveness (40.5\u201d vert., 10\u20198\u201d broad, 34 bench reps). In many ways, his athletic profile mirrors–and on some measures surpasses– that of Minnesota\u2019s Andrew Van Ginkel, although in college, Van Ginkel (who like Chenal, played at Wisconsin) was listed as a DE, while Chenal was an ILB. I only list all those \u201cmeasurables\u201d on Chenal because we all know how much emphasis AP seems to place on RAS scores–sometimes, to his chagrin.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t yet know Daronte Jones\u2019s plans for defensive players who fit his scheme, but I think Chenal is likely to be a match who can be molded over time to play a similar role to Van Ginkel. My inclination, given Chenal\u2019s youth and how well he has fit in for the Chiefs, would be to offer a 4-year deal that KC would be hard pressed to match given their rough cap situation. Chenal only played 440 defensive snaps for KC in 2025, but he was ranked #18 among LBs by PFF, and showed consistent scores across all measures, including coverage, where we definitely need improvement from our LBs. As 91Posse noted, Chenal is an ascending young player who fits AP\u2019s expressed desire to get younger and faster.<\/p>\n

Dean ranks 49th on FOX Sports\u2019 top-100 free agent list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what PFF\u2019s Mason Cameron had to say<\/a> about Dean:<\/p>\n

Entering his age-30 season, Jamel Dean has a resume of consistency that is rarely seen at the cornerback position. Coverage play is volatile, with even the best players riding through the peaks and valleys. Yet, Dean has been able to produce a PFF coverage grade above 72.0 in each of his seven seasons as a pro. Dean profiles as one of the game\u2019s stalwart outside cornerbacks, with his 86.9 PFF coverage grade on the outside ranking fourth among all qualifying cornerbacks.<\/p>\n

So with the stage set for Dean, what could he earn for a contract<\/a>? Cameron projects him to earn $55 million over three years from a team with cornerback needs. Plenty of teams have needs for a major playmaker at cornerback, and despite the draft class having depth, folks like a proven player sometimes.<\/p>\n

Cameron explains the contract value, writing, \u201cAt around an $18 million average annual value, Dean would position himself among the 15 highest-paid cornerbacks, with his deal taking on a similar structure to that of Carlton Davis, Byron Murphy and Charvarius Ward, who each signed three-year, $54 million contracts last offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he will likely be expensive, the Commanders can clear the cap space for this contract through the sheer expediency of releasing Marshon Lattimore. With limited draft capital this offseason, signing a player like Jamel Dean would probably be a strong move by the Commanders.<\/p>\n

According to Spotrac<\/a>, Newsome is projected to earn a three-year deal as a free agent worth $27.06 million. That\u2019s good for an average annual value of just over $9.0 million per season. He\u2019s listed as the 87th player on the FOX Sports list of top-100 2026 free agents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After 4 full seasons in Cleveland after being drafted 26th overall in the 2021 draft, Newsome was traded to Jacksonville at mid-season last year in a swap of players and draft picks. Newsome joined the Jaguars with very good ball production in his career and as someone who was thought to fit well with Anthony Campanile\u2019s zone-heavy defense.<\/p>\n

However, the results in Jacksonville were mixed. Newsome allowed a completion rate of almost 70% with the Jaguars and 11.7 yards per catch<\/a>. He had just one pass breakup and one interception.<\/p>\n

In an article titled \u201c3 Jaguars players James Gladstone has no business letting return in 2026\u201d, the author had this to say<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Ahead of the midseason trade deadline, Jacksonville sent cornerback Tyson Campbell<\/a> and a seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for veteran corner Greg Newsome and a sixth-round pick. The trade was amazing for Cleveland, as Campbell helped contribute to the Browns\u2019 dominant defense, but not so much for Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

Newsome struggled during his time with the Jaguars, as the cornerback position emerged as a weakness for the team down the stretch of the season. Now, the veteran corner is set to be a free agent, and Jacksonville shouldn\u2019t look to re-sign him. With Travis Hunter and Jourdan Lewis returning healthy next season, Newsome should be finding a new team.<\/p>\n

Despite his first-round pedigree, it sounds as if Newsome has struggled with two different teams. At and estimated $9m per season, I\u2019d expect Adam Peters to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Oweh is another potential free agent listed by Mark Tyler in his January free agency plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He is also the 7th-ranked player on FOX Sport\u2019s top-100 free agent list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oweh, 27, benefited from a change in scenery at the trade deadline, stepping up with 7.5 sacks in 12 games after getting dealt from the Ravens to the Chargers. Los Angeles has close to $100 million in cap space, so keeping him shouldn\u2019t be a problem \u2014 by coincidence, one potential suitor would be the Ravens, who now have Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Nobody has more cap space than the Titans and landing an elite pass rusher should be high on their list, so bidding could get high if Oweh is deemed the best of the under-30 edge options.<\/p>\n

The former first-round pick, rattled off 7.5 sacks in 12 games with the Chargers, then 3 more in their Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots. Despite the loss, Oweh\u2019s playoff performance certainly made him more money.<\/p>\n

Fox lists the Ravens, with the Chargers former defensive coordinator as the new head coach, as the likely landing spot for Oweh.<\/p>\n

While Oweh would undoubtedly be a hugely successful addition to the Commanders defense and worth almost any high market-level contract, it\u2019s hard to see how the Commanders would beat out the Chargers, Ravens and any other suitors in a determined offseason pursuit of Oweh.<\/p>\n

This summary of the Packers DE comes from zonecoverage.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Enagbare has been as durable as it gets. In four years, he\u2019s missed a grand total of zero games in the regular season. There was the knee-injury scare<\/a> in the 2024 postseason, when people briefly feared he had suffered a torn ACL. That turned out not to be the case, though. Having someone who\u2019s proven to be readily available each and every week is a luxury for a Packers team that has seen some brutal injuries at the position in recent years, notably to Parsons, Gary, and Van Ness.<\/p>\n

There are so many reasons why the Packers should bring back Kingsley Enagbare, and the final two are just as important as the others already listed.<\/p>\n

Green Bay loves versatility, and Enagbare has played at least 150 snaps on special teams in each of the last three seasons. Even in his rookie season, he logged 86 snaps on teams. As a defensive end, he\u2019s a solid player. He\u2019ll never be relied upon to play at an All-Pro level, but he knows his role and is damn good in it. The added bonus of his ability to play on special teams is a boon to a team infamous for its woes in The Third Phase.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the money.<\/p>\n

Spotrac projects<\/a> Enagbare\u2019s market value at just under $6 million, with an estimated two-year contract worth $11.8 million. It wouldn\u2019t break the bank to bring him back. Still, it\u2019s fair to wonder if another team would up the ante and pay Enagbare at a starter\u2019s going rate, making it extremely unlikely that he would return to Green Bay. Ultimately, the Packers could be priced out of bringing back their 2022 fifth-round pick.<\/p>\n

After last season\u2019s nightmare of injuries, the idea of signing an \u2018iron man\u2019 at EDGE is appealing. Reading a number of Packer\u2019s blogs, I don\u2019t see any particular passion for retaining Enagbare.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s ranked 83rd on the FOX Sports top-100 free agent list, which said this<\/a> about the Packers\u2019 edge rusher:<\/p>\n

You can see why teams might try to mine the depth of a talented defense, trusting that the player stuck behind Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary might be able to do well in a larger role. He\u2019ll likely draw about $6 million a year, which projects as a team\u2019s third rusher, but the former fifth-round pick has exceeded expectations before \u2014 could he follow Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins?<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m not sure I see him as a \u201cpriority\u201d free agent, I can see how Enagbare would fit in as a rotational DE in a base 4-3 similar to what Joe Whitt was running. I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s as likely to fit the bill as either a 3-4 DE or OLB in the re-configured defense that I\u2019m expecting from Daronte Jones. I imagine that Enegbare will find a better fit with a different team.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Hendrickson missed 10 games because of what was later ruled to be a core injury that required surgery.<\/p>\n

Per ESPN<\/a>, when the Bengals mapped out 2025, Cincinnati envisioned Hendrickson continuing his trajectory as one of the game\u2019s best pass rushers — for at least one season. The spring was filled with acrimony between Hendrickson and the Bengals, resulting in a contract dispute that stretched into training camp and was eventually settled with a substantial raise that set his salary at $29 million.<\/p>\n

But once the Week 6 injury occurred, the plan unraveled. Hendrickson attempted to come back two weeks later in Week 8 against the New York Jets. But he aggravated the injury, which frustrated Hendrickson, causing him to leave that loss early. Those 23 snaps in a stunning 39-38 loss were his last of the season — and potentially his Bengals career.<\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019m not excited by the idea of shelling out $30m+ for a 31-year-old edge rusher coming off of a 7-game season and core surgery, but maybe that\u2019s just me.<\/p>\n

Adam Peters said he wanted to get younger and faster. While I would have been in favor of adding Hendrickson in 2025, at this point (post-injury), I\u2019d rather see the Commanders head in a different direction.<\/p>\n

Eagles Wire had some interesting thoughts about Phillips in a recent article<\/a>:<\/p>\n

He arrived in Philadelphia on November 3, and he was acquired for two reasons. The Eagles<\/a> needed help on the edge, and he had already proven he could thrive in Vic Fangio\u2019s system.<\/p>\n

Both boxes were checked. His arrival brought a sometimes under-the-radar but also important contribution. He quickly became a fan favorite, which helped reshape how loyalists and the media viewed his future with the team.<\/p>\n

His stats after arriving don\u2019t jump off the page. He tallied two sacks in eight games with the Eagles after three in nine games with the Miami Dolphins<\/a>, but a stat dive alone doesn\u2019t tell the entire story.<\/p>\n

His pressure rates remained solid as the Eagles closed the show, and Vic Fangio consistently praised his discipline, effort, and ability to execute within the defensive scheme.<\/p>\n

If that was all it took to decide the young edge rusher\u2019s future, his continued stay would be a no-brainer. There\u2019s more to the story, though. There are questions about his durability, and they have existed for a while.<\/p>\n

Phillips simply doesn\u2019t play full seasons, and his career-high in sacks (8.5) was set during his rookie campaign in 2021. That reality can\u2019t be ignored, so is he ascending or regressing? That\u2019s a fair question.<\/p>\n

[F]rom the moment he arrived [in Philly], he earned a spot at the top of the EDGE depth chart. No disrespect is intended to Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt. Both have bright futures, but Phillips was the most complete player in that room, and it showed.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why this conversation matters. Based on talent, value, and overall impact, Phillips may be one of the two most important potential free-agent decisions the Eagles face. He\u2019s in everyone\u2019s conversation.<\/p>\n

Mark Tyler, again, had Phillips listed in his free agency plan<\/a>, and he is ranked 10th on FOX Sports\u2019 top-100 free agent list<\/a>, which projects that he will re-sign with Philly.<\/p>\n

Sports Illustrated<\/a> focused on the cost to the Eagles of trying to keep Phillips on the roster:<\/p>\n

With the NFL salary cap set to rise from $279.2 million in 2025 to a range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million next season, Spotrac.com<\/a>\u2019s early market value on Phillips is three years and $52 million or just over a $17M average annual value.<\/p>\n

If the Eagles could get that number with their typical bookkeeping tricks added in, the goal should be to race to sign the contract.<\/p>\n

My initial hunch is that Spotrac number is too low and tied to Phillips\u2019 troubling injury history (ACL and Achilles), and the fact that those pressures only turned into one actual sack.<\/p>\n

The smarter teams will see the age, upside, and expanding cap situation and push Phillips\u2019 next contract higher. The question from there is what would Howie Roseman\u2019s walkaway number be?<\/p>\n

We saw Howie Roseman forced to let key players like Milton Williams leave in free agency a year ago \u2014 and the Eagles are expected to be awarded 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks in this year\u2019s draft as partial compensation. I\u2019m guessing that Howie will try to avoid a similar situation playing out in the \u201826 offseason with Phillips, who will likely be one of three priority extensions along with Dallas Goedert and Nakobe Dean. If he makes it to free agency, I wouldn\u2019t be opposed to Washington trying to sign him but I expect to see him back in Philly in 2026.<\/p>\n

Mark Tyler\u2019s offseason free agency plan<\/a> lists Nick Cross with the notation (hybrid). He is also 92nd on the FOX Sports top-100 list of 2026 free agents.<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m just gonna paste this Yahoo Sports article<\/a> here:<\/p>\n

According to ESPN\u2019s Aaron Schatz, he projects the Indianapolis Colts to re-sign free agent safety Nick Cross, who just completed his second season with the franchise as a full-time starting safety<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Big prediction for the offseason: The Colts will give a big extension to 25-year-old safety Nick Cross. He did well in my coverage DVOA metric and was involved in 14.0% of Colts defensive plays, fourth among safeties in 2025. His average run tackle came after a gain of just 4.3 yards (ranked third among safeties with at least 20 run tackles). \u2014 Schatz<\/p>\n

Despite having just completed his 4th season, the former 2022 3rd round pick of the Colts is still only 24-years-old, and when going right, offers a tantalizing combination of speed, athleticism, range, and hard hitting ability.<\/p>\n

Since becoming a full-time starter on the backend of their secondary in 2024, he\u2019s started 34 straight games for the Colts defensively. He\u2019s fresh off a 2025 season for Indianapolis in which he recorded 120 tackles (72 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 5 passes defensed, an interception, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.<\/p>\n

Per PFF, Cross earned a +59.8 overall grade, which ranked 68th of 98 qualifying safeties. However, he earned a +72.0 run defense grade, as he excelled in run support.<\/p>\n

While starting quarterback Daniel Jones and wideout Alec Pierce project to be their top free agent priorities, Cross still seems to be a young player that the Colts would presumably like to potentially bring back behind them.<\/p>\n

However, given his youth, and as one of the top free agent safeties in this year\u2019s class, it\u2019s possible he could garner a larger multi-year deal elsewhere. In that case, Indianapolis could shift its focus to upgrading at edge rusher instead and hope that veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can recreate some magic at safety next to Cam Bynum next season, with 2025 7th round pick Hunter Wohler a potential internal replacement candidate.<\/p>\n

Currently, Spotrac projects Nick Cross to earn a 4-year, $24.3 million contract<\/a>, but honestly, given that his best football appears to be still ahead of him and the somewhat recent breakout, it seems likely that his next contract number should be higher than that in the early frenzy that has become modern NFL free agency.<\/p>\n

Reading a couple of Colts blogs, there seems to be genuine lack of clarity about whether the Colts can afford to pay Cross, especially since they have safety Cam Bynum signed to a $15m average annual value deal.<\/p>\n

If he\u2019s available, Cross might be a strong addition to the Commanders defense.<\/p>\n

I doubt whether any Hogs Haven member needs me to summarize Curl\u2019s career to date.<\/p>\n

To me, the most important factor is that, when Adam Peters and Dan Quinn had the opportunity in 2024 to keep Kam Curl in Washington, they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

It strikes me as a tough sell to now tell him that he\u2019s wanted.<\/p>\n

If Daronte Jones gets involved and sees Curl as a key free agency target, then\u2026maybe.<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t see it happening. I expect him to stay with the Rams, with a pay raise.<\/p>\n

Brisker is another \u201chybrid\u201d safety on Mark Tyler\u2019s 2026 free agent plan<\/a> and he is ranked 31st on FOX Sports\u2019 top-100 free agent list<\/a>, who project that he will leave the Bears in this year\u2019s free agency.<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Dan Graziano<\/a> also believes an extension may not be in the cards for the Chicago Bear and former second-round pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 2022 second-round pick still doesn\u2019t have an extension, which isn\u2019t the best sign in terms of his future with a team that has a ton of offseason decisions to make,\u201d Graziano said. \u201cIt sounds to me as if Brisker will have an outside market that prices him out of Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

AS with Nick Cross and Cam Bynum in Indy, Brisker may lose out on an extension because of the presence of veteran Kevin Byard in Chicago \u2014 though Byard is 33 years old and eats up only half as much cap space per season as Bynum.<\/p>\n

Brisker was healthy for all 17 games in 2025 after missing 12 games in 2024 with a concussion. His statistical production was a bit modest \u2014 93 total tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, and 8 pass deflections, however he acted as a tone-setter for the Bears\u2019 defense, with the team allowing significantly fewer points when he was on the field.<\/p>\n

As a high-energy playmaker who is excellent against the run, a reliable tackler, and versatile enough to play multiple roles in the secondary, Brisker sounds like the exact player that Daronte Jones has been describing thus far when talking about the type of players he wants to have on the Washington defense.<\/p>\n

Another player from Mark Tyler\u2019s 2026 free agent plan<\/a>, Cook was a 2nd round pick of the Chiefs in 2022 and ranks 29th on the FOX Sports list of top-100 2026 free agents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how that FOX top-100 list describes him:<\/p>\n

Cook, 26, is the model for low-key under-the-radar coverage skills without splash plays. He has three interceptions in four seasons in Kansas City, one sack and zero forced fumbles, but he\u2019s solid and consistent enough as a defender to be Pro Football Focus\u2019 No. 5 safety in 2025. What\u2019s tricky is the Chiefs have the least cap space of any NFL team, so they\u2019re going to have to let talented young players walk and must prioritize which, if any, they\u2019re able to extend.<\/p>\n

PFF\u2019s Mason Cameron said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Although the Chiefs underperformed this past season, Cook made massive strides, earning a career-best 83.5 PFF overall grade, the fifth-highest mark among qualifying safeties. The 26-year-old stood as the only safety to earn above an 80.0-plus PFF grade in both run defense (80.1) and coverage (83.2). He also ranked above the 90th percentile in missed tackle rate among safeties.<\/p>\n

While Cook\u2019s grading profile in previous seasons doesn\u2019t jump off the page, he brings experience as a starter in a complex defensive scheme. His talent is undeniable, and at just over $14 million annually, Cook would rank just inside the 12 highest-paid safeties.<\/p>\n

I get the feeling that Cook could be a good addition to the re-made Commanders 2026 defense. What do you think?<\/p>\n

External offensive free agents<\/p>\n

Hall is listed in Mark Tyler\u2019s published plan<\/a> and shows up at #11 on FOX\u2019s 2026 list of the top-100 free agents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The soon-to-be 25-year-old has had pretty solid production in his 4 years as an NFL running back.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Pro Football Reference<\/a><\/p>\n

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic named him the Jets\u2019 top free agent and had some intriguing thoughts on the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHall had his best season since his rookie year in 2025, running with more explosiveness and power and attacking contact more than he had in the past, though there were some weeks when he disappeared,\u201d Rosenblatt wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While he played better, there were also moments when he struggled, and Rosenblatt fairly brought those up.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom Week 12 through 16, he averaged three yards per carry,\u201d Rosenblatt added.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe dropped two passes in 2025 and nine in 2024, and he has the second-most fumbles (eight) in the last two years, losing four of them,\u201d Rosenblatt wrote.<\/p>\n

Even with those issues, Hall is the best running back on the market and that will likely make him a candidate to get paid well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not a superstar, but he\u2019s a solid running back and widely viewed as the top player at his position in this free agency class,\u201d Rosenblatt noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpect his next contract to land somewhere in the same range as Kyren Williams\u2019 and James Cook\u2019s deals they signed last year, averaging $11-13 million per season,\u201d Rosenblatt wrote. \u201cPFF projects three years and $37 million for Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honestly, I\u2019ve got a foot pretty deeply entrenched in the \u2018devalued running back\u2019 camp. That said, Breece Hall is too young to see him falling off the performance cliff anytime real soon. My problem is that I think the team will get nearly the same production with a $3.5m runner as they would paying $12m to Hall.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Washington\u2019s running-back-by-committee generated 1,890 yards from scrimmage on 368 touches for an average of 4.95 yards per touch.<\/p>\n

Breece Hall had 279 touches and 1,415 yards from scrimmage – 5.07 yards per touch.<\/p>\n

In effect, on a per-touch basis, the Commanders trio of backs generated about 98% of Breece Hall\u2019s production and none of them had a cap hit above $1.5m for the season. I struggle to see the advantage in spending $12m to add Breece Hall to the running back room. I would lean towards moderating the free agent dollars spent at the running back position.<\/p>\n

Winning the Super Bowl MVP award likely drove Walker\u2019s price up considerably.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s one take on how much<\/a> Walker will command this offseason.<\/p>\n

I think there\u2019s a very good chance Walker demands Jonathan Taylor money. Taylor signed his deal in 2023, when the cap was significantly lower, so even though Walker might not be as talented as Taylor, he could demand a similar deal. It will likely be in that $13-15 million range, depending on how many teams are bidding on him.<\/p>\n

Contract Projection: 3 years, $42 million with $25 million guaranteed<\/p>\n

According to this projection, Walker will be able to command more money in free agency than Breece Hall.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Pro Football Reference<\/a><\/p>\n

Over their respective 4-year NFL careers, not much separates Hall and Walker in regular season production. Hall has better yards per carry and yards per reception, and he has about 500 more yards from scrimmage than does Walker, but his 27 touchdowns and 11 fumbles don\u2019t stack up so well against Walker\u2019s 31 TDs and 3 fumbles.<\/p>\n

Walker had a slightly more efficient 2025 regular season, averaging a career-best 5.2 yards per touch (vs 5.1 ypt for Hall).<\/p>\n

Personally, I like Walker much better than Hall as a running back. If I were going to shell out $14m per year for any pending free agent running back in the NFL this offseason, it would probably be Kenneth Walker.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t actually think Seattle will let him go; I think they\u2019ll try to keep him (and the Seahawks have a lot of cap space to work with).<\/p>\n

In the end, I\u2019d like to see the Commanders running back unit upgraded, but I don\u2019t want to spend top-dollar to make it happen, and I don\u2019t expect Seattle to let Walker\u2026.well\u2026walk in free agency.<\/p>\n

I want to discuss 4 tight ends in this section, so I\u2019ll put the receiving stats for each in a table here at the top of the section.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The chart numbers come from Pro Football Reference and are all PER 17 GAMES.<\/p>\n

I chose this apples-to-apples comparison because Pitts has played 5 seasons while the others have played 4 seasons each. Also, the number of games has varied widely, with Pitts playing in 78 while Kolar, who played in only 2 games as a rookie, has appeared in just 47.<\/p>\n

Kolar is the biggest of the bunch at 6\u20196\u201d, 265 lbs, but the least accomplished receiver (which is why he is projected to earn only about 20% as much as the other three on this list).<\/p>\n

Kolar played only 402 offensive snaps in 2025, less than half of the number played by Kyle Pitts (961). Surprisingly, Likely played only 488 snaps in 2025 (he played 2,026 in 4 seasons) while Okonkwo played 666 offensive snaps in \u201825.<\/p>\n

Kolar is probably the one that is most like the current tight ends on the Commanders roster (Bates, Sinnott and Yankoff). For that reason, he is probably the one I am least interested in.<\/p>\n

In the Feed post, Kolar\u2019s name was put forward by dacrock, and he again offered a detailed analysis of his suggestion, so I\u2019ll include it here as a counter-point to my own lack of enthusiasm:<\/p>\n

Charlie Kolar, TE, Ravens. He\u2019s 27 yrs. old, 6\u20196\u201d, 265, with 10\u201d hands, 34.5\u201d arms and an 82\u201d wingspan. Kolar has been stuck on the depth chart behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, despite being productive on only a few targets (9 1st downs on 10 receptions in 2025 , with 2 TDs, an average of 14.2 yds.\/rec. in 2025 and 13.6 yds.\/rec. during his short NFL career). In many ways, I liken his situation in Baltimore to that of Colby Parkinson when he was stuck behind Noah Fant and Will Dissly in Seattle, but has seen a breakout after signing with the Rams given better QB play and more opportunity. Parkinson signed a 3-yr., $22.5MM contract with the Rams, and I believe Kolar could be had for less. Kolar is also not a liability as a blocker.<\/p>\n

Kolar\u2019s career earnings stand at $4.7MM as a 4th round pick, so a multiyear deal averaging $5.5MM-$6MM more than doubles his career earnings in his first season with the Commanders, yet is less than we were paying Ertz per season, so it keeps the team\u2019s total TE expenditures reasonable (even with the Bates extension last season), and doesn\u2019t close the door on Ben Sinnott continuing to develop. Although Isaiah Likely is also a FA, Kolar has little incentive to stay in Baltimore, as Mark Andrews just signed a 3-yr. extension for over $39MM. The Ravens are also tight on cap space.<\/p>\n

Kyle Pitts, Isaiah Likely, and Chig Okonkwo<\/p>\n

All three of these players are listed in Mark Tyler\u2019s 2026 free agency plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Okonkwo is the smallest (6\u20193\u201d, 238 lbs) and oldest (26 y.o.)<\/p>\n

Pitts is the biggest (6\u20196\u201d, 250 lbs) and youngest (25 y.o.)<\/p>\n

Of the three, Pitts has the most targets, yards and the highest average per reception, but Likely has scored more touchdowns.<\/p>\n

With the Spotrac contract estimates ranging between $8m and $10.8m per year for the three players, there\u2019s not much difference in 2026 cap impact.<\/p>\n

Two of them are ranked in FOX Sports top-100 2026 free agents<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019d probably rank them: 1a – Pitts, 1b – Likely, 3 – Okonkwo. I think any of the three could help the Commanders upgrade the offense in 2026, with Pitts probably the cream of the crop. I\u2019d be very pleased to see the Commanders sign one of these three players<\/p>\n

I want to discuss 6 wide receivers in this section, so I\u2019ll put the receiving stats for each in a table here at the top of the section.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The chart numbers come from Pro Football Reference and each set of stats comes from the most recent season in which the receiver played in at least 15 games.<\/p>\n

Pickens, Doubs, Pierce and Robinson are all listed in Mark Tyler\u2019s article<\/a> discussing 2026 free agency.<\/p>\n

Shaheed, Doubs and Robinson are listed 16th, 23rd and 48th (respectively) on the FOX Sports list<\/a> of the top-100 free agents of 2026. Pickens is ranked #1 overall.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for here. Pickens is estimated to receive a contract worth around $31m per season (I think he\u2019ll get much more than that), while Doubs and Aiyuk bring up the rear at around $12m per season (I think Aiyuk will get much less than that).<\/p>\n

The only way I see Aiyuk signing with Washington is if Jayden Daniels personally advocates for him and Adam Peters has some special insight from his time in San Francisco that makes him decide that BA is worth the risk.I think Jerry Jones will make it a priority to keep George Pickens in Dallas. That said, if I\u2019m Adam Peters, I would be willing to basically out-bid every other team to secure Pickens. He would make the Commanders offense elite almost by himself.For $10m less per season (estimated) Alec Pierce would make a nice consolation prize. He is a speedy deep threat who averages over 20 yards per reception and he has 13 touchdowns in his last 31 games.I\u2019ve always liked Wan\u2019Dale Robinson and his production has increased every year that he\u2019s been in the NFL. He\u2019s the only slot receiver on this list, and at $17m he\u2019d cost about as much as Deebo Samuel\u2019s 2025 contract. I\u2019d be good with Washington signing him.Romeo Doubs doesn\u2019t rack up tons of yardage, but he has 141 first-downs in 202 receptions, which is pretty wonderful, I think. He also has 18 touchdowns in the past 3 seasons. At $12m, I\u2019d be okay with adding him to the crew.Rashid Shaheed is a guy that I\u2019m less keen on. His production with the Saints has been inconsistent. He is not a big TD-scorer (5 TDs over the past two seasons with the Saints & Seahawks) and he\u2019s not the same kind of chain-mover Doubs is. Of the 5 guys not named Aiyuk, he\u2019s the one I\u2019m least interested in.<\/p>\n

All in all, I think this is a very good list of WR targets. I could make an argument for signing any one of them and I can see a way in which each could help upgrade the Commanders offense. Pickens is, hands down, the best pending free agent WR and may be the top free agent overall. For the money quoted by Spotrac, I think Doubs offers the best bang for the buck, unless Aiyuk can resurrect his career and become (again) the receiver he was in 2023, before the injury and before he (apparently) turned into a non-communicative head case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week, I published a post on the Feed asking for 3 free agent suggestions \u2014 one offensive,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":749011,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2069],"tags":[107294,82481,427,7,6,4910,855,111,6220,2480],"class_list":{"0":"post-749010","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-commanders","8":"tag-2026-washington-commanders-free-agency","9":"tag-build-the-team","10":"tag-commanders","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-nfl-free-agents","14":"tag-washington","15":"tag-washington-commanders","16":"tag-washington-commanders-free-agency","17":"tag-washingtoncommanders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116062847255477208","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=749010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/749011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=749010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=749010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=749010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}