Thanks to an influx of new talent headed by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who guided the team to its first postseason victory since 2005 in the NFC Wild Card Round, the Washington Commanders have the most open window of any NFL team at the moment.
We mean “open” as in “open for the next ten years.” This implies that the Commanders will place more importance on the draft than free agency during the annual offseason.
The Commanders’ 2024 NFL draft performance was lacklustre aside from Daniels; the only standout player was cornerback Mike Sainristil. This implies that acquiring draft picks and cutting costly contracts ought to be top priorities.
As a result, Jonathan Allen, a seasoned defensive tackle, will be released from his last year of a four-year, $72 million contract deal that he signed in 2021.
A Super Bowl contender who wants to stay in the running and has a significant need on the interior defensive line might find Allen to be of great use. They would also need the cap space to pay Allen’s $17 million contract in 2025, which would probably require a deal with the Detroit Lions.
In exchange, the Lions might provide draft picks to Washington’s coffers. Either Detroit’s 2025 second round pick and 2025 fifth round pick or Detroit’s 2025 second round pick, 2025 sixth round pick, and a 2025 seventh round pick might serve as the beginning point for the negotiations.
Allen is outside. Observing Commanders
It is not necessary for the Commanders to pay two interior defensive lineman a total of $162 million, as they are now doing with Allen and Daron Payne, who inked a four-year, $90 million contract in March 2023.
Allen is largely on the outside looking after playing just 9 games in 2024 due to a torn pectoral muscle. The Commanders also used a premium draft pick on an interior defensive lineman in the 2024 draft, sel
ecting Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round (No. 36 overall).
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