The Washington Commanders made headlines on Sunday by agreeing to a new four-year deal with defensive tackle Daron Payne for four years and $90 million. That would likely be Washington’s free-agent “splash,” and the money saved from extending Payne would be used to improve the rest of the roster.
That was precisely what the Commanders did Monday.
Washington made multiple moves Monday, agreeing to terms with offensive linemen Nick Gates [Giants] and Andrew Wylie [Chiefs] on three-year deals. The Commanders re-signed veteran cornerback Danny Johnson for two years and also signed linebacker Cody Barton [Seahawks] to a one-year contract.
There were certainly no headliners Monday, but two likely starters on the offensive line, a key reserve cornerback who always plays well and a one-year flier on a linebacker who was a third-round pick a few years ago.
CBS graded winners and losers from day one of the legal tampering period and named the Commanders as one of three winners on the day.
Until QB is addressed, they’ll obviously be a wild card overall, but they wisely declined to outbid the Raiders for another stopgap QB in Jimmy Garoppolo. More importantly, they prioritized the trenches on both sides of the ball. A day after locking up All-Pro defender Daron Payne, they secured an underrated offensive bookend, Chiefs Super Bowl starter Andrew Wylie, for borderline top-10 right tackle money (3 years, $24M). They also added both sterling character and positional versatility by poaching interior man Nick Gates (3 years, $16.5M) from the rival Giants.
While winning any part of free agency can’t be determined in March, as Washington fans know all too well, the Commanders made some smart moves that improved a position that needed a virtual overhaul.
How many more players will Washington add in the coming days?