As the Washington Commanders lick their wounds from a disastrous NFC Championship Game, two truths quickly emerged. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is capable of winning a Super Bowl, and it’s the Commanders’ responsibility to help him get there.
That means swinging early and often in the offseason, acquiring proven veteran talent – and incurring sizable risk – to put the best players around Daniels while his rookie contract provides meaningful cap relief.
This process has already begun. Washington kicked off its offseason with a trade for receiver Deebo Samuel, flipped picks for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, retained many of the departing free agents, and splurged on defensive contributors like defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and cornerback Jonathan Jones.
ESPN’s list of best free agency fits encouraged the Commanders to sign another Terry McLaurin co-star, Keenan Allen.
Allen is coming off the worst healthy season of his career, an amalgamation of his decline and Caleb Williams’ unsteady rookie campaign. With an extensive injury history, signing Allen into his age-33 season is a treacherous endeavor.
“Teams are going to look at Allen's injury history with some reticence,” Bill Barnwell noted. “After repeatedly battling injuries early in his career, he strung together a series of healthy seasons between 2017 and 2019. He has failed to play a full season since, missing time with hamstring injuries in 2022 and heel injuries in 2023 and 2024.”
In an ancillary role, though, there’s reason to believe in Allen’s talent showing out. Signing Allen would allow him and Samuel to split time at the Z spot opposite McLaurin and in the slot, with Samuel taking the brunt of the team’s gadget plays.
If nothing else, he provides a steady, quarterback-friendly presence at a discount.
“He probably profiles as a third wideout in a good offense or a second wideout in a subpar one at this point of his career, but I wonder if this past season with the Bears might have depressed his market more than it should have,” Barnwell wrote. “I'd expect him to land with a team that needs a wideout to win against man coverage, especially if it has a target hog who can draw attention elsewhere and ensure one-on-ones for Allen.”
Barnwell also listed the New England Patriots and Houston Texans as other fits, both of whom also have young passers who could benefit from his intangibles.
Allen isn’t a strong bet to make a big impact on his 2025 team and their Super Bowl aspirations. But adjusting expectations for a minor role with relatively insignificant pay gives Allen a runway to impress in Washington.
