Frank SchwabSenior writerTue, April 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC·5 min readFor a team that played in the NFC championship game just two seasons ago, the Washington Commanders had a lot of holes entering the offseason.
The Commanders decided to invest almost all of their resources into fixing the defense. That isn’t the worst plan. But it’s not the one that directly helps their young franchise quarterback.
Last season was a poor follow up for Jayden Daniels to what was a historic rookie season. His efficiency dipped and he was injured most of the season. It looked like he didn’t have enough help around him. That hasn’t really changed.
The Commanders paid eight free agents to switch teams and come to Washington in the offseason, and seven were on defense. Those eight contracts totaled about $214.3 million, and only $27 million (12.6%) went to offense. The one new addition to the offense in free agency was tight end Chig Okonkwo.
There was nothing wrong with the Commanders taking linebacker Sonny Styles, who had a phenomenal athletic profile, seventh overall in the draft. But that was the Commanders’ only pick in the top 90. They did take receiver Antonio Williams 91st overall, and he could be a huge help right away, but he was the only offensive addition to the Commanders in the top 186 picks of the draft.
A good defense can help a young quarterback. It takes pressure off of him. And the Commanders have been linked to receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a long time, and once the 49ers officially cut him (assuming San Francisco can’t pull off a trade), it seems obvious he’ll land in Washington. But Aiyuk has had two lost seasons in a row, first to a torn ACL and then last year when he practically went AWOL from the 49ers. He could be a huge addition but there’s plenty of risk.
This isn’t the normal approach to building around a young quarterback. Typically teams that are short of talent on offense build quickly to help out the QB. Washington decided to attack the defense instead, and trust that the offense with a hopefully healthy Daniels will be enough. It might work out, but there will be plenty of second guessing if it doesn’t.
Panic meter: Daniels is a special talent, but his supporting cast is shaky and that’s not ideal.
A couple years ago, the news that Hill was a free agent would have started a frenzy to land him. Not so much in 2026.
Hill was cut by the Dolphins in mid-February and he’s still a free agent after the draft. Plenty of that has to do with the combination of his age (32) and a bad knee injury that ended his 2025 season. It makes his market a bit tricky. And while any team could use a prime Hill, the amount of teams that might take a shot on Hill coming off that injury might be slim.
A reunion with the Chiefs has been speculated on for a while. Maybe the Raiders, who are very thin at wide receiver, could take a shot. Perhaps the Commanders would if Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t work out. But there aren’t a lot of obvious fits, and we’re deep into the offseason.
Panic meter: Hill will land somewhere soon on a short-term deal … right?
Jeremiyah Love is a great prospect and based on the recent history of running backs drafted in the top half of the first round of the NFL Draft, the risk of him busting is low.
But the Cardinals couldn’t really afford a luxury pick like that, when they already had decent depth at running back.
Running backs generally don’t do well without a decent offensive line, and the Cardinals have multiple trouble spots on the line. That’s why they were projected to pick an offensive lineman at third overall in most mocks. They did take guard Chase Bisontis in the second round, and that helps, but no other lineman until the seventh round. They better hope Bisontis is a solid day one starter.
Maybe Arizona has enough on the offensive line to run a functional offense. But there should be little question what their priority is in 2027, along with getting a franchise quarterback too. There are plenty of questions on defense too, which doesn’t help.
Panic meter: Love is fun, but it might be a long season in Arizona for him and the team.
The Ty Simpson pick will be debated for a long time, especially if the Rams don’t win a Super Bowl this season. You never know which rookie could be the difference in that quest.
And while the Rams have what looks like the NFL’s best roster, without a clear weakness, it’s not like it’s infallible either. In the pass-catching corps, Puka Nacua has some questions after some off-field incidents and spending some time at a rehab facility, and even if Nacua is his normal self on the field, Davante Adams is 34 and there’s not much depth behind the top two. A receiver or tight end Kenyon Sadiq would have provided some cushion in case the Rams need to dig into their depth this offseason. An offensive lineman would have helped. Practically anyone would have helped this season more than Simpson, though that was said often in the aftermath of the Simpson pick.
Panic meter: None now, but a key injury or early playoff loss will bring about another round of debates over the Simpson pick.