As things stand right now, the Washington Commanders are still a second-place team compared to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The only thing Washington can do at this point before the games actually start, is build a team that can close the gap between their division rivals to make sure last year's conference title game doesn't happen again.
And they have certainly made some key roster moves to make sure that didn't happen again.
Whether it was the trade for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil or the acquisition of All-Pro Deebo Samuel, Washington did what they could through the first wave of free agency to bring in enough firepower to keep up with Philly.
Did they do enough on defense, though?
The additions of Javon Kinlaw and Jonathan Jones are gambles to put it nicely. Essentially, Washington is hoping that another year under Dan Quinn's system will get this group to be among the elites in the game.
That is a massive gamble, though.
What helps Washington the most isn't what they did this offseason. It's what Philadelphia lost in free agency. The Eagles said goodbye to six starters and key role players on each side of the ball. That depth isn't easily replicated so it's natural to assume Philly will come down to earth a bit at this point.
But Washington's roster is now older than it has ever been. And they are banking that the injury-concerns some bring to the table won't show up throughout the 2025 season.
