Perhaps it’s not fair to blame everything on one man. But it’s hard to argue that the Washington Commanders aren’t better off without Dan Snyder around. They have new ownership. They have new coaching. They have a new franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. They have a playoff win. And, most importantly, they have hope.

They’re now in that affordable rookie contract window for their young quarterback. So, it’s crucial that they build on their success this NFL offseason and compete now. We’ll take a look at their depth chart, contracts, cap space, and free agents to predict what might happen in NFL free agency. 

We’ll also give our thoughts for your dynasty fantasy football and early best ball drafts where applicable, why not? As of this moment they have the third most cap space of any team per Spotrac.com, which makes for a fun discussion.

UPDATE: The Washington Commanders have agree in principle to a trade to acquire Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers for a 5th round pick once the league year begins

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

 

 

 

Washington Commanders Depth Chart 2025 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

QB

Jayden Daniels

Marcus Mariota

Jeff Driskel

 

RB

Brian Robinson

Austin Ekeler

Jeremy McNichols

Chris Rodriguez

WR

Terry McLaurin

Luke McCaffrey

  

WR

Noah Brown

Olamide Zaccheus

  

WR

Dyami Brown

Jamison Crowder

KJ Osborn

 

TE

Zach Ertz

John Bates

Ben Sinnott

Colson Yankoff

  • White = unrestricted free agent
  • Green = role is safe
  • Yellow = role in flux
  • Orange = likely a depth piece
  • Red = roster spot not guaranteed

Washington Commanders Free Agency 2025

  • PROJECTED 2025 SALARIES: ~$215M
  • ESTIMATED 2025 CAP SPACE: ~$80M

 

 

 

Commanders Quarterback Depth Chart

Jayden Daniels: The Commanders are in the “sweet spot”. They saw enough from their rookie quarterback to be happy with him as the starter. And it’s only the second year of a four-year deal that also has a fifth-year club option. 

No need to start worrying about an extension just yet though, in this league, having a QB worth extending at some point is a good problem to have. There are arguments to be made that Jayden Daniels is the single most valuable superflex asset in your dynasty leagues. 

Marcus Mariota: Marcus Mariota is in an interesting position for a couple reasons. Being an NFL backup is a lucrative job. But seeing guys like Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold have late resurgences probably have him wishing he could see the field more. Jameis Winston, who was drafted 1st overall the year he went 2nd, has gotten opportunities lately.

The second curveball here is Chip Kelly’s return to the NFL. Kelly just signed off to be offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders under Pete Carroll. And that was Mariota’s coach back in his college years at Oregon. 

Jeff Driskel: Driskel tried his hand at quarterback. He also tried to convert to tight end briefly. But neither really panned out. What he is at this stage is a veteran backup who can serve as an emergency QB while also helping serve as a player-coach. A competing team would likely rather not have him as the actual backup that might need to win games.

COMMANDERS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: If you are a competitive team with a young, mobile quarterback, it’s probably wise to have a good backup. Even paying up there you will likely be spending less on the room in general than teams that have already shelled out for a franchise QB like Joe Burrow or Dak Prescott. 

The question then becomes whether you try to find a veteran quarterback with an overlapping skillset to your own or whether you just bring in the best possible player. Some of the guys with similar skills, like Justin Fields, aren’t signing on to be backups. Here are some guys that are mobile enough that could consider a backup/mentor role.

 

 

 

Commanders Running Back Depth Chart

Brian Robinson: As expected, Brian Robinson led this team on the ground with Ekeler contributing on pass downs. Robinson dealt with some injuries but still notched almost 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns.

Robinson is under contract for 2025. And, honestly, his fantasy value might be better if he does opt to leave. The RPO can be good for rushing efficiency. But mobile QBs can vulture touchdowns. Plus, they’ve established a split between him and Ekeler that could carry on to another back. 

There are a lot of fans of the talent out there that are willing to buy so Brian Robinson is a player I’d actually look to sell this offseason while folks are high on the Commanders in general. 

Austin Ekeler: This past offseason, Ekeler said he was happy to rejoin former Chargers head coach and current Commanders running back coach Anthony Lynn. He felt he was best utilized in a split backfield like some of his best years with Melvin Gordon. And that’s exactly how they deployed Ekeler when healthy.

Ekeler could be released or traded with $3.46M in savings and $1.5M in cap space. But I expect him back in Washington if he wants to play. Not only did he contribute 733 yards from scrimmage, but he also returned 19 kicks for nearly 600 yards earning him second team All Pro honors as a return man. 

Jeremy McNichols: Going back a couple regimes now, the Commanders have always had a "satellite back” on the roster that could catch passes. Guys like J.D. McKissic, Jeremy McNichols, and Austin Ekeler. With Luke McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler both capable of running back kicks, they might end up letting McNichols walk as an unrestricted free agent. They do like him though so he could be back as depth.

Chris Rodriguez: Chris Rodriguez was a fine guy to have on a rookie deal. And, because he’s accrued less than three NFL seasons, they could easily bring him back as an exclusive rights' free agent for the bare minimum. If they don’t bring him back, that tells you all you need to know.

COMMANDERS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: The conservative route for Washington would be to just bring back the four backs they had this year. Jeremy McNichols is really the only one they would need to negotiate with. With just those four backs they would have two guys that operate on early downs, two to three guys that can catch passes, and two guys that can return kicks.

If they were to let them both walk, they would likely want to bring in a bruiser back or some kind in case Brian Robinson goes down as well as someone that can back up Ekeler (and possibly also return kicks). The draft makes a lot of sense given the expiring contracts for BRob and Ekeler but here are the free agent options. 

 

 

 

Commanders Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Terry McLaurin: Up until this year, Terry McLaurin had fallen into the same trap as Andre Johnson. You’ve got a really talented pass-catcher who’s been loyal to an organization that has struggled to find a quarterback. The Commanders finally found their guy in Jayden Daniels, and he had the best year of his career scoring 13 TDs.

It wasn’t all Jayden Daniels as McLaurin not only led all wide receivers in contested catches per Pro Football Focus, but he also had an incredible catch rate over 70% on those chances. To put that in perspective, last year no WR that got at least 15 contested catch opportunities caught more than 70% of them. This year only McLaurin and Rome Odunze did (more on him here).

If you are competing to win now in your dynasty league, McLaurin is a guy you should be buying. If you are really blowing it up where you won’t be competitive this year and possibly next, you might want to consider selling as he does turn 30 this September. Some guys age gracefully, some hit the wall after 30. Cooper Kupp, for instance, is 31 and the Rams are looking to move on.

Noah Brown: Early on in the season no one besides Terry McLaurin was playing more than 70% of the snaps. Eventually, Noah Brown separated himself as the clear WR2. That’s why he’s listed here. He and McLaurin led in snaps for Weeks 10, 11, and 12 before Noah Brown suffered a season ending injury. 

He’s already told reporters that he wants to stay in Washington. They can certainly afford to bring him back if they want. He’s likely to be more of a depth piece than he is to be the WR2 here so he’s only worth holding in the deepest of dynasty leagues. 

Olamide Zaccheaus: After the Noah Brown injury, Zaccheaus finished out the season as the de facto #2 WR. He’s another journeyman wideout that is better off as veteran depth than an every-down starter. He’s also an undrafted free agent and I can’t imagine they bring all of these guys back rather than attempting to upgrade. Not a guy you need to hold in dynasty really either. 

 

 

 

Dyami Brown: Throughout his four years now Brown has been fairly inconsistent. Such is the life of a field stretching, part-time wide receiver. They’ll need some speed on the outside so they could bring him back on an affordable deal. One advantage he has over Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheus is age. At age 25 in this market, someone will give him a shot.

He’s the best bet in your fantasy leagues after McLaurin. The Commanders could bring him back, strike out in free agency, then whiff in the draft. That makes him the WR2 one of the league’s most promising quarterbacks. 

Luke McCaffrey: The Commanders took a stab on Luke McCaffrey in the draft hoping that he had some of the work ethic his father Ed and brother Christian possess. He didn’t exactly pop as a rookie but he’s on a cheap deal and they really don’t have anyone else signed. So, he’s likely back in 2025 to compete for work in the slot. His ability to return kicks doesn’t hurt.

Jamison Crowder: Crowder was signed late as depth down the stretch and helped return punts. But he’s not a long-term answer in the role. He’ll likely not be back in 2025. 

K.J. Osborn: The Commanders claimed KJ Osborn off waivers after the New England Patriots released him but he didn’t amount to much. Being released by the Patriots, the team with arguably the weakest WR room, is not a good sign.

COMMANDERS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: 

UPDATE: The Washington Commanders have agree in principle to a trade to acquire Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers for a 5th round pick once the league year begins

This team has the perfect storm of available opportunity, cap space, and a good quarterback. Terry McLaurin is flexible enough to play any role which means they could bring in a split end, a flanker, or a slot wide receiver and make it work. The world is their oyster.

It might make sense to bring in a vet (or two) and also take a stab (or two) in the draft. The room is depleted, and they want weapons for their young quarterback. Trading for Christian Kirk (to reunite with Kliff Kingsbury) or for a vets like Deebo Samuel or Cooper Kupp are also on the table. 

But here are the very best free agent options available and the Commanders should consider all of them. Signing the top dog in Tee Higgins as their big split end to fight the jam could really help the longevity of Terry McLaurin.

 

 

 

Commanders Tight End Depth Chart

Zach Ertz: Ertz says he wants to play in 2025, so he’ll be playing. Whether or not he will be playing for Washington is yet to be determined. But these final years can make all the difference in a hall of fame resume and Ertz is getting pretty close as it stands.

If he is back, he’ll likely once again be the top pass-catching tight end on the team. We do expect them to add a wide receiver or two though so his upside for fantasy football would probably be capped if he were back with Washington. This is your last window to see if that were at all possible, but he could be bye week or injury depth for you next year.

Ben Sinnott: We like Ben Sinnott. He’s an athletic tight end that got good draft capital on a team that has a promising young quarterback. Much like Trey McBride early in his career, however, he ended up behind a rock-solid pass-catching tight end in Zach Ertz. Sinnott is a hold for us as of now but he’s much closer to a buy than a sell in your dynasty leagues. He has three years left on a cheap rookie deal. 

John Bates: Bates served as the blocking tight end for Washington which saw him play the second most snaps behind only Ertz. He did, however, block on 32.2% of his pass plays per Pro Football Focus which is a tell-tale sign of the inline blocking tight end. When Ertz briefly left a game with a concussion, we saw Sinnott leapfrog Bates for pass-catching duties which solidified that notion.

He’s an unrestricted free agent so Washington could bring him back as their blocking tight end. Or they could find someone else for that role. It doesn’t have much effect on us in fantasy football land though, if you are rooting for Bates there, you don’t want him back in Washington. 

Colson Yankoff: If Ben Sinnott is the understudy for Zach Ertz, Yankoff is the understudy for John Bates. He also blocked on more than 30% of his pass plays in his limited capacity there. He’s under contract but can be released with less than $7,000 in dead cap so his roster spot is not guaranteed by any means. 

COMMANDERS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: If they move on from him, they could add one of the guys below. If they move on from John Bates there are a lot of blocking tight ends out there like Mo Allie-Cox, Chris Mahertz, Ross Dwelley, Harrison Bryant. But that’s less interesting of a discussion than talking about the pass-catching tight ends.

There really aren’t many better pass-catching tight ends out there than Zach Ertz. There are younger ones, however. We’d like to see either Ertz back for one more run or Ben Sinnott in that starting role. But these guys are options as pure pass-catchers.