The Commanders’ five-pick haul did not include a defensive end, and the ascendant team may still have work to do at the position between now and Week 1. Big names had been on the team’s radar leading up to the draft.
In addition to pursuing Trey Hendrickson, the Commanders looked into other high-profile options in March. The team showed interest in Joey Bosa and DeMarcus Lawrence, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim. Those rushers respectively signed with the Bills and Seahawks.
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Lawrence made sense as an obvious Commanders target, given the longtime Cowboy’s ties to Dan Quinn and DC Joe Whitt. Quinn coached Lawrence for three seasons, and the team agreed to a deal that provided $30MM in additional guarantees (2022) during Quinn’s tenure. Lawrence is coming off a season-ending Lisfranc injury, but he still fetched a nice contract from the Seahawks, who employ ex-Cowboys assistant Aden Durde as DC. Lawrence, who is now healthy, signed a three-year, $32.5MM deal.
Committing to Seattle shortly before Bosa made a surprise Buffalo pledge, Lawrence scored a similar guarantee at signing ($13MM) despite Bosa’s one-year deal. Illustrating the value Bosa still carried following his Chargers release, the Bills gave him a one-year, $12.61MM that came with $12MM at signing. Buffalo will roll the dice on Bosa, who has battled injuries for most of his career, as its top Gregory Rousseau complementary rusher.
It stands to reason the Commanders will reexamine the free agent market for an option. The team lost its top 2024 sacker, Dante Fowler, after he returned to Dallas on a one-year, $6MM contract. That deal illustrates minimal interest from Washington, which devoted more offseason attention to its D-tackle corps than its edge-rushing contingent. The team did re-sign Clelin Ferrell and add potential rotational cogs in Jacob Martin, Deatrich Wise and Jalyn Holmes, but the team may be missing a starter opposite Dorance Armstrong.
Bosa’s Bills agreement points Von Miller to needing to continue his Hall of Fame career outside of Buffalo. Za’Darius Smith came up as a Lions option, and while he may still be in play to return to Detroit (after its draft haul was light at the need area), no known talks have transpired. Matt Judon is also available, as is ex-Washington draftee Preston Smith. The Bengals have not exactly wrapped matters with Hendrickson, either, potentially keeping the door open to a trade.
The Commanders are likely still open to addressing this premium position via trade as well, but ahead of OTAs, the team still looks to need an Armstrong sidekick — or a big-ticket addition that drops him in the pecking order.