NFL analyst has surprising answer for Commanders' best offseason move
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Commanders will look a lot different in 2026. Just two days after a miserable 5-12 concluded, general manager Adam Peters stated that his desire this offseason was to make the Commanders "younger and faster."
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It's been over four months since Peters made that declaration, and he's lived up to his words. Washington attacked free agency by focusing on younger free agents coming off their first contracts rather than the veterans added over the last two offseasons. Peters specifically focused on the defense, which was dreadful last season. He made every unit better, specifically the front seven, adding edge rushers Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, defensive tackle Tim Settle and linebacker Leo Chenal. The Commanders then used the No. 7 overall pick on linebacker Sonny Styles.
Washington will be longer, faster, quicker, stronger, and younger in 2026. Better? The Commanders sure can't be any worse.
Peters also made some moves in the secondary, signing veteran cornerback Amik Robertson and safety Nick Cross. Both are expected to start. Washington needed help in the secondary after moving on from Marshon Lattimore, Noah Igbinoghene and Jonathan Jones. While safety appears to be set after the Cross addition, there are still questions at cornerback. Did the Commanders do enough?
ESPN's Bill Barnwell thinks so. Barnwell recently named every NFC team's best and worst offseason moves. He named Washington's best move, "upgrading in the secondary."
If you watched the Commanders attempt to play pass defense last season, you might be eligible for financial compensation. When their front four didn't get pressure last season, Dan Quinn's defense allowed 9.3 yards per dropback. That was the worst mark of any team in the NFL and the second-worst mark of any defense in that scenario over the past 10 years.
General manager Adam Peters made major upgrades in the front seven, but the secondary should also be better. Amik Robertson, who should start in three-CB sets, quietly became an important player for the Lions in 2024. It was telling that the defense finally collapsed after Robertson got hurt two snaps into the divisional round loss to, coincidentally, the Commanders. Peters also added veteran depth in Ahkello Witherspoon, who has generally been solid when called upon over the past few seasons in Los Angeles. Nick Cross, signed on a two-year, $13 million deal, should be able to help near the line of scrimmage and as a blitzer for new coordinator Daronte Jones.
While we don't necessarily agree that Washington's best move was its secondary additions, there's another way to look at it. By dramatically improving the front seven, specifically the pass rush, the Commanders' secondary will be much better in 2026. The additions of Robertson and Cross will help, too, but the additions of Oweh, Chaisson, Chenal and Styles are a bigger deal.
So, in a way, Barnwell is correct. Then, you add in the new defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones, and everyone should be improved. The key for Jones is getting more out of returning players like Mike Sainristil and Quan Martin. Both former second-round picks looked like building blocks before last season, but each regressed badly in 2025.
We'll see in September.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: What was the best offseason move?