The NFL offseason has turned into a 24/7 world in which every meeting leads to a rumor that takes on a life of its own. Even if you do your best to ignore all the speculation that floods the internet, the immediacy of the entire process has its effect.
Pundits and fans alike tend to render instant judgment on every move, big or small. But general managers like Adam Peters don’t operate like that.
The best general managers have a plan that extends beyond the signing of any single player. Even though it may be too early to label the Washington Commanders’ front-office leader among the best, he has shown early signs of being a shrewd strategist who sticks to a plan.
That’s the danger of reacting too strongly to any individual move. The roster-building in Year 2 of Peters’ regime is far from over.
Some doors have been closed.
Commanders creating extra competition with Adam Peters' free agency approach
If you had hoped the Commanders would address the Sam Cosmi injury by signing former Philadelphia Eagles’ guard Mehki Becton, his signing with the Los Angeles Chargers eliminated that option. In hindsight, it seems unlikely that Peters was ever going to pony up big money for a player like this, but that didn’t stop fans from dreaming.
As early speculative targets disappeared and the Commanders began signing players, some moves brought joy while others produced head scratches. Few saw elite left tackle Laremy Tunsil in Washington's future, and most have been delighted with his arrival.
On the other hand, many prognosticators, myself included, had Michael Deiter and Clelin Ferrell out the door before they were re-signed.
The thing to remember is that the re-signing of players like Deiter and Ferrell — as well as Jeremy McNichols, Trent Scott, and K.J. Osborn —does not ensure that any of them will be on the Commanders’ roster in 2025.
This flurry of activity — 19 free agents signed or re-signed currently — does two things. It creates competition for roster spots and offers both coaches and management maximum flexibility.
That is the strategy Peters is executing. Hopefully, he’ll hit on a lot of the players he inked to new deals. However, this plan is designed to address the reality that not every free agent does work out.
The Commanders have only signed one big-money deal during free agency. That was with Javon Kinlaw. On paper, he looks to be a plug-and-play replacement for Jonathan Allen at defensive tackle.
But Peters has also signed veteran Eddie Goldman and re-upped with Sheldon Day. At this point, they would seem to be battling it out for the traditional fourth interior spot behind Kinlaw, Daron Payne, and Johnny Newton. Even so, there is no way to predict right now whether both or neither will end up on the roster come September.
There could be more free agents signed. Then, there’s the draft.
Peters left himself with enough depth at this early stage of the offseason to go after virtually any position next month. The Commanders had bigger needs than another defensive tackle in the second round of the 2024 draft, but Peters still chose Newton because he considered him the best player available at the time.
He will enter this year’s draft with an even greater level of confidence.
Washington may feel the need for a game-changing edge rusher or an explosive young wide receiver. But if Peters finds a dynamic safety or a speedy tight end on the board when the No. 29 pick comes up, he will have the roster flexibility to grab them.
This is why Deiter was re-signed despite also bringing in Nate Herbig. Deatrich Wise Jr. would seem to make Ferrell expendable, but Peters still re-signed the former Clemson star.
They will all be competing throughout the summer, during training camp and into preseason. It creates depth, it protects against injury, and it gives management maximum flexibility.
That’s the plan Peters has for the Commanders.
Whether you like the moves he has made so far or have been left shaking your head in disbelief, it is best to wait until at least after the draft to begin forming any meaningful conclusions about how it is all working out.
