Yahoo Sports What's next for the Commanders after the Eagles trampled their Cinderella run?
The Washington Commanders were arguably the best story of the 2024 NFL season. But while a rebuild kick-started by Jayden Daniels' stunning play couldn't advance to Super Bowl 59, there's little room for disappointment in the nation's capital.
Washington ultimately couldn't overcome the lack of defensive personnel that haunted the franchise after last year's sell-off, The Commanders weak run defense ran into the worst possible opponent. The Philadelphia Eagles ran for 229 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a 55-23 win to claim their second NFC title in three years.
By landing a franchise quarterback who shined as a rookie, the Commanders took care of the the concern that haunted them the last two decades. There's a lot of work still do be done, but a boatload of salary cap space and the ability to sell free agents to ride a surging wave should only help Washington keep thriving.
What comes next?
1. What do the Commanders have to build around in 2025?
Jayden Daniels.
Don't worry, there's more, but the most important piece is the presumptive 2024 offensive rookie of the year. Daniels stepped into the starting lineup and proved there's no game too fast for him. Between his downfield accuracy, razor-sharp processing and ability to extend drives on the ground, the former Heisman Trophy winner established the Commanders' championship foundation.
He thrived while providing the rain to Terry McLaurin's passing game desert. The Pro Bowl wideout rose to All-Pro status while catching 13 touchdowns this fall -- one fewer than he'd had in the 2021 to 2023 seasons combined. The rest of the offense needs an infusion of talent, though Brandon Coleman proved solid enough as a rookie left tackle.
The defense is careening toward a rebuild with several starters headed toward free agency -- more on that later. Mike Sainristil has All-Pro potential over the slot and Frankie Luvu is finally getting the recognition he deserves as a versatile off-ball force at linebacker. Jonathan Allen missed half the 2024 season but remains an effective interior pass rusher for a team that sold off some of its prized defensive linemen last trade deadline.
Sunday’s loss leaves the Commanders with the 29th pick in this spring’s NFL Draft. They're out a fourth round selection thanks to the Marshon Lattimore trade but will have one pick in each of the first three rounds in April.
Washington will have an estimated $89.6 million in salary cap space for 2025, per Over the Cap — third-most in the NFL. That's vital for a team with plenty of holes to be filled despite 2024's success.
2. What players could leave the Commanders in 2025?
The following players played at least 50 percent of Washington's offensive or defensive snaps and will be free agents in 2025:
LB Bobby Wagner
S Jeremy Chinn
CB Benjamin St. Juste
CB Noah Igbinoghene
TE Zach Ertz
EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.
Additionally, tight end John Bates, wide receivers Noah Brown, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus, punter Tress Way and kickers Zane Gonzalez and Austin Seibert are pending free agents as well.
3. Offseason priority No. 1: Secondary reinforcements
Washington attempted to address a depleted secondary by adding Lattimore at the trade deadline. That led to two unimpressive regular season games and a roasting at the hands of Mike Evans in the Commanders' comeback wild card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Lattimore was front-and-center again in the first half of Sunday's game for tangling with A.J. Brown, committing penalties and generally failing to live up to his past standard. He'll return for 2025, but St. Juste, Chinn and Igbinoghene may not as free agency beckons.
Leading off with Sainristil and safety Quan Martin (a 75.3 passer rating allowed in coverage in his first season as a full-time starter) is a strong start. But Washington badly needs starters and backups behind them. Veteran leadership would be a benefit. Fortunately, there are several options who can help.
This year's free agent class is loaded with older, but still viable, defensive backs like D.J. Reed, Rasul Douglas and Stephon Gilmore. If the Commanders are willing to spend a bit more, Byron Murphy, Trevon Moehrig, Tanaloa Hufanga and Jevon Holland could also make it to the open market where they'd command expensive long-term deals. And if Dan Quinn trusts his developmental chops, he could buy low on once-vaunted prospects like Asante Samuel Jr., Eric Stokes or Kristian Fulton.
Washington has the cash and the opportunity to restock its secondary with veteran talent. Which means they can address the other piece of their defensive distress at the 2025 NFL Draft...
4. Offseason priority No. 2: Front line defensive help
Here are the top five Commanders when it came to quarterback hits in 2024:
Frankie Luvu (great, but a blitzing off-ball linebacker rather than a pass rusher)
Dorance Armstrong Jr. (solid)
Dante Fowler (31 years old and a free agent)
Clelin Farrell (free agent)
Bobby Wagner (35 years old, an off-ball linebacker and a free agent)
Reinforcements are needed for a team that blitzed 32.9 percent of the time but brought pressure only 33 percent of opposing dropbacks. Of the group above, only Fowler ranked in the top 20 when it came to pass rush win rate and he's both on the wrong side of 30 and liable to sign elsewhere.
Pass rushers are expensive. Washington can afford to splurge in free agency, but this year's crop is uninspiring. Bringing back Fowler is a common sense move (should he want to return). Otherwise, the top veterans available are either long-in-tooth guys like Emmanuel Ogbah or Matthew Judon or young guys who could benefit from a change in scenery like Dayo Odeyingbo, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka or Azeez Ojulari. The latter may be more appealing to a defensive developer like Dan Quinn.
That's not the only concern up front. The Eagles ran all over the Commanders, which was impressive but not surprising.
A healthy Johnny Newton will be a boon, but Washington needs lane-clogging support up front in order to keep from falling into the same trap that kept the late-stage Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers from advancing to the Super Bowl. As run-heavy offenses flex back into vogue, stopping the run -- whether via handoff or scrambling QBs -- is vital, particularly in the NFC East.
The Commanders didn't have a single interior lineman show up in the top 20 of either pass rush or run stuff win rates, per ESPN. But free agent Adam Butler is on both and would be an inexpensive rotational piece. Tackles like Walter Nolen and Kenneth Grant could be available toward the back end of the first round this spring. There's lots of work to be done here, but beefing up in the trenches would fix a lot of what ails Washington.
5. Offseason priority No. 3: Wideout help
Terry McLaurin finally got the quarterback for whom he'd been waiting his entire NFL career. Jayden Daniels didn't just revive the Pro Bowl wideout atop his depth chart, but also made guys like Noah Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown occasional game-breakers en route to 13 total wins. Along the way, he made a 35-year-old Zach Ertz a dangerous mid-range target.
McLaurin will be back for 2025. The other four guys in that paragraph are free agents. Even if they all return, Washington would benefit greatly from giving Daniels the kind of playmakers who can command opposing double-teams instead of merely benefitting from the ones McLaurin creates. Bringing back Brown after his late-season surge makes sense. Brown and Zaccheaus work well with Daniels and could provide value in a WR4-type situation.
There are a few WR2-ish players who could help in free agency. The younger guys include Darius Slayton, Elijah Moore, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Josh Palmer. The Commanders could also turn to a veteran class that includes Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins -- a move that fits with last spring's signing of Austin Ekeler.
There's no perfect fit there, however. Washington could be best served attacking another deep class of wide receiver and tight end talent in this year's draft. Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. could be a nightmare matchup even if his blocking is leagues behind his receiving skill. Elic Ayomanor could use his size to be an A.J. Brown-ish presence in the middle of the field. Xavier Restrepo could thrive in the slot behind the space McLaurin creates. Each of those guys should be available on Day 2.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: What's next for the Commanders after the Eagles trampled their Cinderella run?
