Welcome to where “here we go again,” a “brave new world” and our constantly updated Washington Commanders’ 2024 free agency/offseason tracker collide.
The first offseason for the new regime hits overdrive as the NFL’s legal tampering period begins Monday at noon ET followed by the official start of the league year on Wednesday. The Commanders will be active, but how aggressive with their roughly $80 million (league high) in salary-cap space and numerous roster holes?
Put this page in your rotation for news and notes throughout the offseason. We begin with links to our pre-free agency coverage:
March 28
WR Olamide Zaccheaus agrees to terms with Commanders
The five-year veteran spent 2023 with the Eagles after four seasons with the Falcons. Zaccheaus set career highs with 40 receptions, 533 yards and 13 starts in 2022, but the 5-foot-8 target had only 10 receptions (20 targets) for 164 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games (one start) with Philadelphia.
Washington had yet to add a wideout this offseason after Curtis Samuel left for Buffalo in free agency.
March 19
Commanders re-sign OT Cornelius Lucas
Washington re-signing Lucas isn’t surprising. The move does allow everyone the chance to exhale.
Lucas agreed to a one-year contract with a maximum value of $4 million, per a league source. A reliable swing tackle during former head coach Ron Rivera’s four seasons is, for now, the leading candidate to start on the left side. That there isn’t even an obvious backup option shows the value of having Lucas, 33 in July, on the roster.
The Commanders will likely address the position in April’s NFL Draft — Washington has six selections in the top 100 picks. Similar to having veteran Marcus Mariota around for a rookie quarterback selected No. 2 overall, Lucas would allow the coaches to ease a young tackle into the lineup.
Braeden Daniels, Washington’s fourth-round selection in 2023, is another developmental tackle. That he looked overrated throughout the offseason program before missing the entire campaign with a rotator cuff injury makes him a wild card at the position.
March 18
Commanders sign former Chargers DB Michael Davis
As the Commanders introduced several of their known free-agent signings during a video conference call with reporters, they slipped in another addition nobody outside the building knew was coming.
Washington signed former Chargers cornerback Michael Davis, providing the secondary with veteran experience and a potential starter following Kendall Fuller’s exit last week.
Davis, entering his eighth season, has 74 career starts, including 65 over the past five years. He worked with new defensive backs coach Tom Donatell in Los Angeles.
Washington was slow to acquire cornerback depth in free agency but has now signed Davis and ex-Cowboy Noah Igbinoghene. Davis is not a definitive better option than Benjamin St-Juste or 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr., but he provides coaches with a seasoned defensive back. The Commanders may target a longer-term option with one of their five picks on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
A boost to our secondary pic.twitter.com/R2YDIBksXB
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) March 18, 2024
March 17
Washington adds CB depth with signing of Noah Igbinoghene
One trend continued and perhaps began at the same time, as the Commanders agreed to terms with cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, a team source confirmed.
Igbinoghene, the 30th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dolphins, played last season with the Cowboys. He joins D-lineman Dorance Armstrong, center Tyler Biadasz and D-end Dante Fowler as free agents who followed Dan Quinn to Washington.
After several attempts to bolster depth, Igbinoghene, 24, becomes the first cornerback added by the active Commanders in free agency. He arrives after an underwhelming four seasons with just one interception and five career starts. The 5-foot-11 corner played five games for Dallas in 2023.
Washington still needs a cornerback to join Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the rotation.
March 15
Linebacker Cody Barton signs with Broncos
Barton, Washington’s leading tackler in 2023, has agreed to sign with the Broncos.
After completing a one-year contract with the Commanders, Barton will have a chance to become Denver’s primary backup linebacker and special team contributor.
The Commanders addressed the linebacker room more aggressively than other position groups with the signings of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. There’s depth needed beyond those two and Jamin Davis.
March 14
Safety Kam Curl signs with Rams
The Kamren Curl era is over in Washington after the safety agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $13 million with the Rams, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
That will seem like a shockingly low figure for fans who hoped the Commanders would extend the four-year starter before or during the 2023 season. Washington paused all negotiations with players amid the franchise sale last July and maintained that stance during the season.
Whether the former regime led by coach Ron Rivera wanted to keep Curl, a player they selected as a 2020 seventh-round pick, is unclear. The new front office under general manager Adam Peters moved on this week by signing free agent Jeremy Chinn and maintained depth by re-signing Jeremy Reaves. Quan Martin, Darrick Forrest and Percy Butler round out the young group.
Curl offered an assertive streak and playmaking as a rookie, finishing with three interceptions. They were his only interceptions with Washington, a fact that hurt his value with some other teams despite becoming a steady presence in the secondary.
— Kam Curl (@KCurl_2) March 15, 2024
WR Curtis Samuel signing three-year deal with Bills
Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick who has spent the past three seasons in Washington, is signing a three-year, $24 million deal worth up to $30 million with the Bills. He’ll get $15 million guaranteed.
After missing most of his first season with Washington in 2021 due to injury, he played in all but one game over the past two years and totaled 126 receptions and eight touchdown catches. The versatile wideout also rushed for 226 yards and scored two additional touchdowns on the ground.
The Commanders still have receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Dyami Brown on the roster, as well as Jamison Crowder, who they recently re-signed but is more of a return man at this point of his career.
QB Sam Howell dealt to Seahawks
Seattle is acquiring quarterback Sam Howell via a trade with Washington, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
The Commanders are sending Howell and fourth- and sixth-round picks (Nos. 102 and 179) to the Seahawks in exchange for third- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 78 and 152). Essentially, Seattle will get its replacement for departed backup Drew Lock in exchange for moving 24 spots back from the third round to the fourth and 27 spots back from the fifth round to the sixth.
GO DEEPER
Commanders move on from Sam Howell as new regime builds roster to fit its vision
Commanders re-sign DL Efe Obada
The soon-to-be 32-year-old has agreed to re-sign with the Commanders, the team announced.
Obada, who is entering his third season in Washington, played in all 17 games in 2022 and had four sacks and four tackles for loss. He only appeared in five games last season after undergoing surgery on his right leg. He’ll provide much-needed depth to the Commanders’ defensive front.
Back to bolster our d-line pic.twitter.com/je9UxJdwGa
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) March 14, 2024
CB Kendall Fuller agrees to two-year deal with Dolphins
Fuller, one of the more consistent players in Washington’s secondary over the past four seasons, has signed a two-year, $16.5 million deal with the Dolphins.
He was drafted in the third round by Washington in 2016 and spent the first two years of his career with the team before being traded to the Chiefs in 2018. He won a Super Bowl in Kansas City following the 2019 season, Patrick Mahomes’ second as a full-time starter, and then re-signed with Washington in 2020 and had a total of 10 interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — during his second stint with the team.
CB Kendall Fuller is signing a 2-year, $16.5M deal with the Dolphins, source confirms.
Knew he wasn’t returning to Washington. Notable loss on and off the field. The player and team’s timeline not aligned.
Commanders have yet to address CB in free agency.
(@JFowlerESPN 1st)
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 14, 2024
Commanders signing LB Anthony Pittman
Pittman, a 2019 undrafted free agent, has spent his entire career with the Lions. He’s played in every game over the past three seasons, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
He’ll add depth to the outside linebacker position for Washington, which also agreed to deals with Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner this week, and be a solid special teams contributor.
March 13
Center Nick Gates released
The Commanders parted ways with Gates after one season, which was expected. He played in 13 games for Washington in 2023 and started 10, but he was eventually benched due to poor play.
Washington agreed to sign former Cowboys Pro Bowler Tyler Biadasz on Day 1 of the legal tampering window, helping fill the void at the center position.
Commanders re-sign WR/return specialist Jamison Crowder
The Commanders will re-sign Crowder to a one-year deal, a team source confirmed. A 2015 fourth-round pick, Crowder spent the first four years of his career in Washington and was a key contributor as a slot receiver, with his best season coming in 2016 when he caught 67 passes for 847 yards and seven touchdowns.
After spending four years in the AFC East, three with the Jets and one with the Bills, he rejoined Washington in 2023 and provided stability as a punt returner, including a 61-yard return against the Falcons in Week 6 that led to a touchdown.
While Crowder is a reliable special teams presence, he also provides depth and veteran experience at receiver for the Commanders.
Commanders sign All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner to one-year deal
Wagner, a six-time first-team All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, is joining Washington on a one-year deal, a team source confirmed with The Athletic. The deal is worth a max of $8.5 million, including $6 million in guarantees, per NFL Network.
GO DEEPER
Commanders signing Bobby Wagner to 1-year deal
The 2012 second-round pick has spent 11 of his 12 seasons in Seattle, where he played under Dan Quinn in 2013 and 2014 when the Seahawks made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
Even at 33 years old, Wagner led the NFL in tackles with 183 for Seattle last season, the third time in his career he’s led the league in that category. He brings leadership and experience to Washington’s defense, which also added former Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu in free agency and has 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis.
Seattle, we’ve done this before. You know what it is. It’s always love. Until we meet again. I’m around 🤞🏾
— Bobby Wagner (@Bwagz) March 13, 2024
Commanders re-sign safety/core special-teamer Jeremy Reaves
Turns out Washington can re-sign its own free agents.
Reaves, a 2022 All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection for special teams, and the Commanders have agreed to a two-year contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Reaves became a try-hard fan favorite who first played for Washington in 2018 but never made the Week 1 roster until 2022. His follow-up campaign was cut short after playing just five games due to a knee injury.
He provides depth at safety, a position where the Commanders added free agent Jeremy Chinn but appear likely to lose four-year starter Kamren Curl in free agency.
Let’s run it back😤 pic.twitter.com/n5n7GAhy5E
— Jeremy Reaves (@JR1ERA) March 13, 2024
March 12
Commanders agree to deal with safety Jeremy Chinn
Washington has agreed to sign the former Panthers safety on a one-year deal worth up to $5.1 million, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Chinn, a 2020 second-round selection, finished as the Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up to Chase Young. He started 50 of 54 games during his time in Carolina and tallied two interceptions, four sacks and 324 tackles. There’s no questioning whether he’s the type of assertive presence the staff covets while forging a new defensive identity. He will sometimes play behind or alongside another ex-Panther, linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Safety Kamren Curl, Washington’s top free agent this cycle, remains unsigned. Replacing him with Chinn — that appears to be the case — means an assertive defensive back with several years of starting experience exists on the roster.
Commanders agree to deal with long snapper Tyler Ott
Ott has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the Commanders, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The move reunites Ott with special teams coach Larry Izzo and addresses a bumpy position for the 2023 Commanders.
Ott, 32, played for the Ravens last season after six years with Seattle, where Izzo coached before joining Washington this season. More familiarity comes for punter and holder Tress Way, as the two played for high school rivals in Tulsa, Okla.
The Commanders infamously traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft for Camaron Cheeseman but cut him last season after a series of botched snaps. Tucker Addington finished out the remainder of the season.
Commanders agree to terms with DE Dante Fowler Jr.
The Commanders entered free agency without any semblance of a defensive end rotation. That’s changed 28 hours into the NFL’s legal tampering period as Fowler becomes the next edge rusher to agree to terms with Washington, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Fowler was the third player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft and first linked up with Dan Quinn at the University of Florida before a reunion in Atlanta and then the past two seasons with the Cowboys. Fowler had 10 sacks during his two years in Dallas.
Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell also agreed on contract terms with Washington. They join rising second-year players KJ Henry and Andre Jones Jr. on the roster. This is a lower-ceiling group, but a useable one should Washington not land an impact option in the draft.
Commanders agree to one-year deal with QB Marcus Mariota
The Commanders have agreed to terms with quarterback Marcus Mariota on a one-year, $6 million deal that can be worth up to $10 million, according to league sources. Mariota spent last season with the Eagles as the backup to Jalen Hurts.
The intrigue surrounding Mariota joining the Commanders isn’t about the veteran quarterback but rather what his arrival means for Washington’s depth chart. Mariota was named the Heisman Trophy winner in 2014 and was selected No. 2 overall that year. This squad already has 2023 starter Sam Howell and is positioned to select a quarterback with the second overall pick in April’s draft.
Mariota ranked No. 144 on The Athletic’s top 150 free-agent list.
GO DEEPER
Marcus Mariota agrees to terms with Commanders: Sources
Commanders agree to one-year deal with DE Clelin Ferrell
The Commanders added more defensive end depth by agreeing to terms with Clelin Ferrell, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, league sources told me and Dianna Russini.
Ferrell, 27 in May, is part of the defensive end puzzle rather than a solution, though he started all 17 games for the NFC champion 49ers last season He missed the postseason with a torn meniscus. The sturdy presence had 3.5 sacks and 28 tackles as part of a rotation that included ex-Commander Chase Young after the trade deadline. More help is required beyond Ferrell and projected starter Dorance Armstrong.
March 11
Commanders agree to sign G Nick Allegretti to three-year deal
The Commanders’ reshaping of their offensive line continued on Monday by agreeing to terms with former Chiefs guard Nick Allegretti on a three-year, $16 million deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Allegretti, 27, primarily worked in reserve over his five years with Kansas City but started this season’s AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. He played the majority of his 79 snaps in the Super Bowl after suffering a torn UCL. Allegretti will be given a shot to start, presumably at left guard and next to another one of Washington’s signings, center Tyler Biadasz.
Commanders reportedly agree to terms with kicker Brandon McManus
McManus spent 2023 in Jacksonville after nine seasons in Denver, where he overlapped with Washington general manager Adam Peters. He made 81.1 percent of his field goal attempts (30-of-37) and all 35 of his extra points last season. The agreement means the Commanders are moving on from Joey Slye (79.2 field goal percentage in 2023) after two-plus seasons.
Jacoby Brissett agrees to one-year deal with Patriots, per reports
If the Commanders want an experienced quarterback on the roster, it won’t be Brissett. Washington’s backup last season agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract plus incentives with the Patriots.
The Commanders, if they stand pat, have 2023 starter Sam Howell and the quarterback they likely select with the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft.
Commanders agree to two-year deal with RB Austin Ekeler
The Commanders added a potentially dynamic running back in Ekeler after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Ekeler, No. 60 on The Athletic’s 2024 free-agent list, is coming off a quieter season after leading the league with touchdowns scored in 2021 (20) and 2022 (18). He finished last season with 1,064 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. That was the third straight and fourth overall season he tallied at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage, finishing with 628 rushing yards and 436 receiving yards.
The versatile offensive playmaker became the fourth external free agent to agree to terms with Washington on the opening day of the league’s legal tampering period.
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Austin Ekeler agrees to sign with Commanders on 2-year deal
Commanders agree to three-year deal with LB Frankie Luvu
The Commanders did something on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period not previously done in these parts for years: spend money on a free-agent linebacker.
Washington and former Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu agreed to a three-year contract with a maximum value of $36 million, a league source confirmed. Luvu, 27, hit free agency after generating 5.5 sacks, 125 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 17 games for the Panthers last season. He ranked 20th in The Athletic’s top 150 free-agents list.
GO DEEPER
Commanders agree to deal with LB Frankie Luvu
Antonio Gibson headed to Patriots, sources confirm
Gibson is taking his dual-threat talents to Foxboro after agreeing to a three-year deal with New England, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Gibson’s four seasons with Washington were coming to a close as the new regime sought new pieces to join Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr. in the backfield. The next change-of-pace back may come in the draft. Fortunately for Gibson, the 2020 third-round pick didn’t have to wait long for a new destination.
The terms, per a league source, are three years, $11.25 million with $5.35 million guaranteed, which essentially amounts to a year-to-year contract.
RB Antonio Gibson has agreed to a 3-year deal with the Patriots, source confirmed.
Not a surprise he’s moving on, and the Commanders now need a pass catcher out of the backfield. Fascinated to see of a new team had a better plan to use AG.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 11, 2024
Commanders agree to terms with C Tyler Biadasz
The Commanders addressed their shaky offensive line on the first day of the league’s legal tampering period by agreeing to terms with former Dallas Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz, a league source confirmed. Biadasz, No. 65 on The Athletic’s top 150 free-agent list, will take over as Washington’s starter after holding that status with the Cowboys for the past three years. The terms of the deal are three years for $30 million.
Center has become the Spinal Tap drummer of positions in recent seasons, with injuries wrecking the depth chart. The plan last season involved signing free agent Nick Gates and drafting Ricky Stromberg in the third round. However, Gates was benched for poor play midway through the season and will be released when the new league year begins, team and league sources told The Athletic. Stromberg played sparingly before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Tyler Larsen, a 2024 free agent, replaced Gates before injuries sidelined him for a third consecutive season.
Biadasz, a 2022 Pro Bowl selection, started 49 games over the past three seasons. Stromberg is the likely backup and possibly in play for guard work.
GO DEEPER
Commanders reportedly agree to deal with C Tyler Biadasz, adding a Pro Bowler to O-line
Commanders agree to three-year deal with DE Dorance Armstrong
The Commanders have agreed to terms with defensive end Dorance Armstrong, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. Armstrong, who turns 27 in June, had 7 1/2 sacks last season under Quinn in Dallas. ESPN reported that his terms are three years for a maximum salary of $45 million.
Attacking the edge-rusher position in free agency makes perfect sense. Washington’s top five from last season either hit free agency or, in the case of Montez Sweat and Young, were dealt before the 2023 trade deadline. Rising second-year players KJ Henry and Andre Jones Jr. might join the rotation, but the Commanders needed surer pieces next to Pro Bowl tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
Of Armstrong’s 93 career regular-season games, all with the Cowboys, the 2018 fourth-round pick never started more than five games in any season. Yet the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder also finished second on the team in sacks in each of the past two seasons, including a career-high 8 1/2 in 2022.
March 6
Commanders sign tight end Zach Ertz to one-year deal
The signing reunites Ertz with former Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury, now Washington’s offensive coordinator. Ertz, 33, had 103 receptions and seven touchdowns under Kingsbury from 2021 to 2022 before the Cardinals made a coaching change. The financial terms of Ertz’s contract with incentives offer the 12-year veteran up to $5 million in earnings. The Commanders’ tight end room requires a makeover, which began with the salary cap-influence release of Logan Thomas. But the signing of Ertz should not preclude Washington from seeking additional help for one of the least productive tight end groups in the league.
(Photo of Olamide Zaccheaus: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
