Commanders' Best Move of the Offseason Flew Under the Radar

The Washington Commanders signed Odafe Oweh during the offseason, and that was largely seen as a massive move for the franchise.

The edge rusher has more than proved himself, and he’ll be a solid addition to the Commanders’ lineup.

Also, the Commanders are really a solid team, even though their record from last season doesn’t show it. The main reason they didn’t thrive in 2025 was because of injuries, and that’s something that was pretty much out of their control.

So, the Oweh signing was good, but the Commanders did something even better. ESPN’s Seth Walder loves their signing of safety Nick Cross.

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“As far as personnel, the Commanders made moves to address their older, underperforming defense, headlined by signing Oweh to a four-year, $96 million contract,” he states. “That looks and seems expensive on the surface, but Oweh is better than he is given credit for: His 16.7% pass rush win rate at edge last season between the Ravens and Chargers ranked 10th best at the position. Washington also added K’Lavon Chaisson on a one-year deal after his solid 2025 season with the Patriots.”

My Take: Where Does Washington Stand?

Of all the teams in the NFL, the Commanders were really the team that needed the least amount of help this offseason, despite their poor record in 2025.

If Jayden Daniels can stay healthy, that’ll be a game-changer right there. Now, though, having both Cross and Oweh in their lineup should also help take this team to the next level. It’ll also help if injuries do pop up this season.

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Will the Commanders go all the way in 2026? Maybe. But, even if they don’t, they’re shaping up to have a much better season than last year.

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This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 12:30 PM.