Washington Commanders

Washington sits 6th in the league with $44.8M in cap room now and projects to $78.4M next season, giving the front office the firepower to attack its roster holes aggressively over the next two offseasons.

26 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Five starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Washington holds an exceptional seven picks in the upcoming draft, with all seven falling in the first round, giving the front office rare and powerful flexibility to either build through the draft or package picks for established veterans.

Washington's top strength is its offensive line talent headlined by the 94 overall Tunsil and 88 overall Cosmi, while its weakest spots are the right edge and tight end groups, which rank among the bottom five in the league at both positions.

• CBhigh

  The CB1 spot ranks 27th among starters league-wide, with Amik Robertson starting ahead of Trey Amos and the aging Rasul Douglas, leaving this group thin in both quality and depth.

• HBhigh

  Jacory Croskey-Merritt starts at running back but the position ranks 31st among starters, and the depth behind him, Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler, does not inspire confidence in a feature-back solution.

• LGhigh

  Andrew Wylie, a twilight-aged veteran, currently starts at left guard in a unit that ranks 27th at the position among starters and 29th in overall depth, making this one of Washington's most urgent line holes.

• REDGEhigh

  Dorance Armstrong starts at right edge but ranks 28th among starters and the depth behind him, K'Lavon Chaisson at 75 overall, leaves the position among the worst in the league top to bottom.

• RThigh

  Josh Conerly Jr is a 22-year-old Star developmental player who starts at right tackle, ranking 24th among starters, and needs time to grow into the role.

• TEhigh

  Chigoziem Okonkwo starts at tight end but the position ranks 30th among starters, and Ben Sinnott and John Bates behind him do not meaningfully raise the ceiling.

• Cmedium

  Nick Allegretti starts at center and ranks 24th among starters, though Washington's center depth ranks 6th overall, providing some cushion while a longer-term solution is identified.

• FSmedium

  Quan Martin starts at free safety and ranks 24th among starters, with Jeremy Reaves and Percy Butler offering modest insurance behind him.

• QBmedium

  Jayden Daniels starts at quarterback but ranks 25th among starters, though his Superstar dev trait at 25 years old means there is legitimate reason to believe the ceiling is much higher than the current 76 overall.

• 73Javon KinlawDTJavon Kinlaw is a 73 overall backup behind Payne and Newton who carries nearly equal dead money ($8.0M) as cap savings ($8.2M), making the release barely worth the accounting pain unless the roster spot is urgently needed.Frees $8.2M · $8.0M dead
• 79Dorance ArmstrongLEDGEDorance Armstrong starts at REDGE but ranks 28th among starters at 79 overall, and releasing him frees $8.6M against only $3.5M in dead money, making him the clearest financial win among the cut candidates given Washington's need to upgrade the position.Frees $8.6M · $3.5M dead
• 70Lucas PatrickCLucas Patrick sits third on the center depth chart at 70 overall and 33 years old, and cutting him is essentially free value since the release frees $1.1M with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 61Colson YankoffTEColson Yankoff is third at tight end at 61 overall, a position already ranked 30th among starters, and his release frees $1.1M with no dead money attached.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 72Marcus MariotaQBMarcus Mariota is the backup quarterback at 72 overall and carries $6.0M in dead money against only $1.4M freed, making him a cap-unfriendly roster spot that costs more to cut than to keep in the short term.Frees $1.4M · $6.0M dead

Washington is at an inflection point, built around Jayden Daniels, a 25-year-old Superstar-trait quarterback whose development will define the franchise's next chapter. The offensive line has real upside with Laremy Tunsil anchoring the left side and Sam Cosmi providing elite versatility at guard, but Tunsil is in the late stage of his career and his replacement needs to be identified sooner rather than later. Terry McLaurin remains the top receiver, and Stefon Diggs provides a capable complement, though Diggs is entering the final chapter of his playing days and cannot be leaned on as part of a multi-year plan. On defense, Daron Payne, Leo Chenal, and the young Sonny Styles form a credible core, but the right edge and cornerback groups are genuine liabilities. With $44.8M in current cap room ranking 6th in the league and $78.4M projected next season, Washington has the financial tools to address these holes aggressively, though $17.1M in dead money and 26 expiring contracts mean the front office will face a busy roster-construction period in the near term.

The franchise was founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, renamed the Boston Redskins in 1933, then moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937 to become the Washington Redskins, a name it carried for 83 years. In 2020 the team dropped the name and played two seasons as the Washington Football Team before rebranding as the Washington Commanders in 2022. The early Redskins were defined by Sammy Baugh, who revolutionized the forward pass and led the team to NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942. The franchise's golden era arrived under head coach Joe Gibbs, who from 1981 to 1992 led Washington to four NFC Championships and three Super Bowl titles (XVII, XXII, and XXVI), remaining the only coach to win three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks (Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien) behind 'The Hogs' offensive line and stars like John Riggins, Art Monk, and Darrell Green. The Daniel Snyder ownership era (1999-2023) was marked by sustained mediocrity (164-220-2) and off-field scandal, including a $60 million NFL fine. In July 2023, NFL owners unanimously (32-0) approved the sale to a group led by Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion. Under Harris, GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn engineered a dramatic 2024 turnaround, reaching the NFC Championship Game before falling 55-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles.