On Wednesday, the Washington Commanders kicked off free agency by agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran tight end Zach Ertz. The 33-year-old Ertz signed a contract that could potentially be worth up to $5 million, giving Washington some much-needed depth at tight end.
Although real free agency doesn’t begin until next week, multiple teams have started releasing players to make room for new additions. Washington released three players last week.
On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills made several moves. They released longtime starters center Mitch Morse, cornerback Tre’Davious White, and safety Jordan Poyer. All would be outstanding additions to the Commanders.
Morse may make the most sense for Washington, though.
One of the Commanders’ moves last week was releasing Nick Gates. Washington signed him to a three-year deal last offseason, and he didn’t play well. Veteran Tyler Larsen is a free agent and injury-prone. That leaves Ricky Stromberg, last year’s third-round pick, as the only center on the roster.
Stromberg didn’t play one snap at center and only played a few at guard before injuring his knee midway through the season. Stromberg was a first-team All-SEC center at Arkansas.
Still, Stromberg is unproven, and you need a veteran. Morse will receive offers to start in multiple places. If the Commanders plan on bringing in a rookie quarterback, pairing him with a veteran center makes sense. The center often helps the quarterback identify the Mike linebacker and set pass protections. It’s often underrated how important it is to have a veteran center who can help a young passer early in his career.
Morse can provide that for Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
Morse was a second-round pick in 2015 and was a four-year starter for the Chiefs with quarterback Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. He signed with the Bills in 2019 and has been Josh Allen’s center for the past five seasons. Morse is dependable, too, having missed only six games with the Bills over the last five years.
Morse also has connections with the Commanders. Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson was Morse’s position coach for his first three seasons with the Bills. While we don’t know the status of their relationship, Johnson is the best person to give GM Adam Peters a scouting report on Morse.
Even better, Washington doesn’t have to wait until next week to sign Morse.