Nick Allegretti, Julian Good-Jones To Compete For Commanders’ Center Job
Tyler Biadasz was the Commanders’ starting center over the past two years, but they released him earlier this offseason. While Biadasz had another season left on a three-year, $30MM contract, head coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders did not explore a trade before cutting him (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). He went on to secure another three-year, $30MM pact with the Chargers.
In the wake of Biadasz’s exit, the Commanders pursued former Raven Tyler Linderbaum, easily the best center on the free agent market. However, with a record-setting offer worth $81MM over three years, the Raiders won the bidding war for Linderbaum.
The Commanders boast the second-most cap space in the NFL ($49.64MM), but free agent center choices have continued to dwindle since Linderbaum came off the board. For now, Nick Allegretti and Julian Good-Jones are the Commanders’ in-house options at center. Quinn said Washington is planning a competition between the two, per Jhabvala.
Since the Chiefs took him in the seventh round of the 2019 draft, Allegretti has lined up almost exclusively at guard. After joining the Commanders on a three-year, $16MM deal in 2024, he was a 17-game starter at left guard in his first season in Washington. With Sam Cosmi recovering from knee surgery, Allegretti opened 2025 as the Commanders’ starting right guard. The team demoted Allegretti to backup duties after Week 2, though, and the 29-year-old’s only other starts came in Washington’s last two games. Allegretti filled in for an injured Biadasz in those contests. The Commanders were encouraged enough to hand Allegretti a new two-year contract this month, potentially setting him up to take over for Biadasz in 2026.
Undrafted from Iowa State in 2020, Good-Jones carries more experience in the Canadian Football League, where he played from 2021-22, than the NFL. Good-Jones has been in the Washington organization since 2023, though his only appearance in a game came that year. The Commanders waived the 29-year-old with an injury settlement last August, but they brought him back on a practice squad agreement in October.
While free agent possibilities are limited, Washington could still add a center in next month’s draft. The Commanders certainly won’t address the position with their first-round pick (No. 7 overall), but they have five more selections after that.
NFC Contract Details: Evans, 49ers, Kirk, Commanders, Wentz, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, Seahawks, Falcons, Lions
Here are the key details from some of the free agency deals agreed to around the NFC:
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. More details are in on Evans’ deal, which is essentially a one-year, $14.3MM pact. Four separate $1.5MM escalators for 2027 are in place. If Evans finishes in the top 10 in receptions, yards or receiving touchdowns, he would earn $1.5MM for each such placement. The 49ers must make the playoffs for any of these escalators to kick in, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. San Francisco winning a postseason game this season also would trigger $500K, with any additional playoff wins carrying the same bump (though, $1.5MM is the max Evans can earn from the win-based playoff component of this deal). Evans must play at least 75% of the 49ers’ regular-season offensive snaps to hit the playoff-win incentive, Florio adds. The same escalator steps cover the 2027 season and Evans’ potential 2028 compensation.
- Amik Robertson, CB (Commanders). Two years, $15MM. While Robertson’s signing brought $9MM guaranteed in total, OverTheCap notes $7.35MM is locked in at signing. Robertson’s 2026 cap number sits at $5MM, his 2027 number at $10MM, via ESPN.com’s John Keim. His 2027 base salary ($6.35MM) is nonguaranteed.
- Roy Lopez, DT (Cardinals). Two years, $10.5MM. Lopez’s Arizona return will bring $6MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Lopez, who did not receive any 2027 salary guarantees at signing, will be due a $250K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Dre Greenlaw, LB (49ers). One year, $6MM. This deal is fully guaranteed, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. Greenlaw’s cap number checks in at $3.55MM, as four void years are included here. Greenlaw, who missed nine games as a Bronco in 2025 and was down for almost all of the 2024 season, will see $850K of his third 49ers contract tied to per-game roster bonuses.
- Josh Jones, OL (Seahawks). One year, $4MM. Jones secured $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The base value and guarantee match Jones’ 2025 Seattle terms.
- Christian Kirk, WR (49ers). One year, $3MM. The former Cardinals, Jaguars and Texans wideout will see $2.78MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. The deal can max out at $6MM.
- Chris Paul, G (Commanders). One year, $3MM. The 2025 starter will see $2.48MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson.
- Carson Wentz, QB (Vikings). One year, $3MM. The former No. 2 overall pick will see $2.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. This is more than double what the Vikings paid Wentz in 2025.
- Sam Howell, QB (Cowboys). One year, $2.5MM. Howell landed $2MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes. The deal maxes out at $3MM, with a $500K incentive pertaining to a Cowboys playoff berth included.
- Samson Ebukam, OLB (Falcons). One year, $2.77MM. Ebukam played out a three-year Colts deal worth $24MM; he will see $700K guaranteed on his Falcons accord, Wilson notes.
- Malcolm Rodriguez, ILB (Lions). One year, $2.75MM. Rodriguez is staying put for $2.7MM fully guaranteed (via Wilson). Because this is the rare four-year qualifying offer, Rodriguez will count just $1.4MM toward the Lions’ cap. The cap number reflects the veteran minimum for a player with four years of service time, with the CBA stipulating a maximum bump from a four-year qualifying contract is $1.55MM.
- Rachaad White, RB (Commanders). One year, $2MM. While the Buccaneers gave Kenneth Gainwell a two-year deal worth $14MM to replace White alongside Bucky Irving, White’s contract will max out at $4MM (per Wilson). The Commanders authorized a $1.72MM guarantee at signing.
- Isiah Pacheco, RB (Lions). One year, $1.81MM. Pacheco’s bounce-back attempt will include a sub-$2MM contract, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates the deal is fully guaranteed.
Commanders Content At LB, Leave Door Open For Bobby Wagner Reunion
Future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner performed well during his two-year stint with the Commanders over the 2024-25 seasons. He wants to continue his playing career in 2026, but he will be entering his age-36 campaign, and it sounds as if Washington is content with its existing LB corps.
As ESPN’s John Keim writes, while the Commanders are open to bringing Wagner back for another year, that likely will happen only if another player on the depth chart suffers an injury and creates a pressing need. The same is true of fellow 35-year-old and two-year Commander Zach Ertz. This offseason, Washington signed TE Chig Okonkwo to join incumbents John Bates and Ben Sinnott, so it appears as if Ertz – whose situation is further muddied by a December ACL tear – will only be back with the club if there is an injury to one of those players.
With respect to their linebacker room, the Commanders authorized a notable contract for former Chief Leo Chenal, and they are returning Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee. Per Keim, Washington is encouraged by what it has seen from Magee, a 2024 fifth-rounder, despite the fact that he appeared in just under one-third of the team’s defensive snaps last season after playing almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie. In 2025, neither Magee nor Luvu fared particularly well in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, which assigned them subpar grades of 54.9 and 53.7, respectively.
Wagner, by contrast, landed an overall mark of 78.6, the ninth-best score in the NFL among 88 qualified ‘backers. Of course, his surface-level results were typically stellar, as he finished fifth in the league in tackles (162) and eighth in pressures (20). He was one of just two players to record at least 150 tackles and miss fewer than 10, and he amassed nine QB hits, eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and two interceptions. The highly-durable defender also started all 17 games, all of which suggests he will still be productive in ‘26.
The Commanders, however, appear willing to let the six-time First Team All-Pro seek another opportunity as they examine their younger options. If there is a change of circumstances and Wagner remains unsigned, they may circle back.
“He’s like the most remarkable player and leader,” head coach Dan Quinn said of Wagner. “I wanted to make sure I said how important he was to me to come here together [in 2024], like what standards could look like. And then yes, like what [GM] Adam [Peters] said to him and some others, ‘We’re going to leave the door open, and we’ll see what that looks like over the time ahead.'”
As of the time of this writing, there has been no publicly-reported interest in Wagner (the Cowboys have not pursued him despite casting a wide net in their search for LB help). The longtime Seahawk and member of the 2,000-tackle club has played for the Commanders on consecutive one-year deals worth a combined $14MM. A similar pact could be in store for 2026, but with nearly $120MM in career earnings, a legitimate opportunity for a second Super Bowl ring may be Wagner’s primary focus at this stage of his career.
Commanders Pursued Trey Hendrickson
The Commanders were among the teams to make a notable splash early in free agency with respect to the pass rush market. A big-ticket deal was quickly worked out with Odafe Oweh. 
The former Raven and Charger landed a four-year, $96MM pact with Washington. Oweh secured just over $50MM guaranteed at signing, and he will be counted to help bring about an uptick in production off the edge in 2026 and beyond. Oweh was not Washington’s only notable pass rush target on the open market, however.
The Commanders were in the mix for Trey Hendrickson, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes. She notes the team was “very aggressive” in pursuing Hendrickson even after the Oweh deal had been worked out. That adds Washington to the list of known suitors in Hendrickson’s case, with Indianapolis having submitted an offer. Instead of reuniting with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, the four-time Pro Bowler joined the Ravens on a four-year, $112MM pact.
Hendrickson secured $28MM in terms of average annual value, surpassing Oweh’s $24MM. His Baltimore deal also contained $60MM in full guarantees, edging Oweh in that regard. Hendrickson, who reached 17.5 sacks in the 2023 and ’24 seasons, has a much more robust track record with respect to production. He is four years older, on the other hand, and the former Bengal is coming off core muscle surgery. Those factors led to Hendrickson’s market not reaching the level he thought it would.
Joe Whitt‘s second (and final) season as the Commanders’ defensive coordinator to not go as planned, to say the least. His unit ranked last in the NFL in total defense in 2025, and pass rush production was an issue. It comes as no surprise Washington – armed with significant cap space – was prepared to make not one but two high-profile EDGE additions on the open market while attempting to bring about a rebound moving forward. Oweh thrived upon arrival via trade with the Chargers midway through the 2025 campaign, but it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his strong level of play on his third career team. Charles Omenihu and K’Lavon Chaisson are also in the fold thanks to less lucrative free agent deals.
The Commanders still have nearly $50MM in cap space. That could leave room for another signing, albeit one not nearly as expensive as Hendrickson would have been. Washington could also wait until the draft – in which the team currently has six selections, including No. 7 overall – to bring in another edge rush presence.
Commanders To Sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon
3:40pm: Witherspoon’s visit has indeed produced an agreement, Garafolo reports. Washington’s secondary will have another veteran in place leading up to the draft.
9:ooam: The Commanders have undergone a number of changes at the cornerback position so far in free agency. Another addition at that spot could be coming soon. 
Ahkello Witherspoon is set to visit Washington today, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. The 10th-year veteran has never played for the Commanders, but he would be a familiar face to general manager Adam Peters. Peters was in the 49ers’ organization when Witherspoon was drafted by San Francisco in 2017.
After playing out his rookie contract in the Bay Area, the former third-rounder spent a pair of seasons with the Steelers. Witherspoon was limited to just 13 games during his Pittsburgh tenure, leading to his release halfway through a two-year contract in 2023. As a free agent for the second time, Witherspoon joined the Rams on what would prove to be the first of three consecutive one-year deals.
Over the course of his time in Los Angeles, Witherspoon saw his playing time decline. The Colorado product logged a career-high 1,060 defensive snaps in 2023 but saw that figure drop considerably in each of the following two years. In all, Witherspoon has made 64 starts and 96 appearances during the regular season. He is among the most experienced options still on the market at this point of free agency.
Changes in the secondary were seen as a key area for improvement entering the offseason in Washington’s case. The Commanders replaced Joe Whitt with Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator, and he will have a new-look cornerback room to work with in 2026. Jonathan Jones and Noah Igbinoghene have departed in free agency, while Marshon Lattimore and Antonio Hamilton remain unsigned. One addition (Amik Robertson) has already been made, and more are no doubt coming through free agency and/or the draft.
Washington has over $49MM in cap space as things stand. The Commanders could easily afford a number of new arrivals despite the money already spent on the open market as a result. If a deal is worked out in Witherspoon’s case, it will no doubt be an inexpensive one.
Commanders Arrange Visits With LB Sonny Styles, WR Denzel Boston
Set to select seventh overall in next month’s draft, the Commanders find themselves in an interesting position. A wide range of options could present itself by the time Washington is on the clock. 
The team has already been linked to a number of prospects as top 30 visits take place around the league. USC receiver Makai Lemon, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, Miami cornerback Keionte Scott and Buckeyes wideout Carnell Tate have each been linked to the Commanders so far. Two more Day 1 candidates are on Washington’s radar.
Per veteran Commanders reporter Ben Standig, top 30 visits with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Washington receiver Denzel Boston have been arranged. This marks the first known link between Styles and an interested NFL team in terms of a formal visit. It will certainly not be the last.
Styles is one of several Buckeyes who are considered a lock to hear their names called in the first round. He transitioned from safety to linebacker midway through his Ohio State career, a move which proved fruitful. Styles racked up 182 tackles, seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss across the 2024 and ’25 seasons. He sits third overall in the latest rankings from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. A selection somewhere in the opening half of the first round is expected in this case.
Lemon and Tate are likewise in position to come off the board early on Day 1. Boston, on the other hand, is expected to be available toward the end of the round. A trade down the order would thus be feasible if the Commanders were to target the red zone target. Boston has been linked to the Browns, 49ers and Steelers in recent days and his list of suitors will no doubt continue to grow over the coming weeks.
Washington owns pick No. 7 but the team is not scheduled to select again until the third round. Both Styles and Boston will no doubt be well off the board by the Commanders’ second selection, but each will receive a look as they consider their options near the top of the order.
WR Carnell Tate Lines Up Five Visits
Having already met with the Browns, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate has lined up several more visits in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate said he will meet with the Titans, Saints, Commanders, Giants and Chiefs, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
All of the above teams have a need at receiver and are set to pick in the top 10, which is prime territory for Tate. The latest prized Ohio State receiver prospect, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate is poised to follow other recent Buckeyes wideouts like Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in coming off the board in the first round.
The Buckeyes’ receiving corps was so strong during Tate’s three-year run on the team that he was never the No. 1 option. When Tate broke in as a freshman in 2023, Harrison and Egbuka were atop the depth chart. Tate caught just 18 passes in 13 games that year. Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith were ahead of Tate in the pecking order in his sophomore season, a national title-winning campaign, but he notched 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Closing out his college career last year, Tate played second fiddle to Smith and secured 51 catches for 875 yards and nine scores in 11 games. The sure-handed Tate did not drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
“You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that’s not Justin Jefferson at LSU,” an NFC area scout told Matt Miller of ESPN.
That’s a lofty comparison, but with Tate considered an elite prospect, the club that drafts him will bank on adding someone capable of making a Jefferson-like impact. If he goes to Tennessee at No. 4, Tate would team with the newly signed Wan’Dale Robinson as the top receivers for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Tate would pair with another Ohio State product in New Orleans (No. 8; Olave) or Washington (No. 7; Terry McLaurin). If the Giants take Tate at No. 5, it would give them another blue-chip receiver alongside Malik Nabers. As the sixth pick in 2024, Nabers excelled as a rookie, but a torn ACL limited him to four games last season.
Meanwhile, despite investing heavily in the receiver position in recent drafts, the Chiefs arguably lack a No. 1 wideout. 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore is off the roster; 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice has been productive when healthy, but he has dealt with injuries and serious off-field issues; and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy was a complementary target in his first two seasons. If the Chiefs choose Tate ninth overall, they would expect the 21-year-old to emerge as Patrick Mahomes‘ first star receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in 2022.
Commanders To Host Miami CB Keionte Scott For 30 Visit
The Commanders entered the 2025 offseason with a major need in cornerback. Most of the top available free agents have already found new homes, so Washington will likely need to target the position in the draft.
LSU All-American Mansoor Delane has flown up draft boards after a standout 2025 season and a blazing 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). He could be an option for the Commanders’ first-round pick (No. 7 overall), but Washington could also wait until Day 2 to address the cornerback position.
In that case, Miami’s Keionte Scott could be a prospect to watch. The Commanders are set to host the 5-foot-11 cornerback on a 30 visit, per Ryan Fowler of Commanding the Huddle. The team does not have a second-round pick this year as a result of the Laremy Tunsil trade, but they could use their third-rounder (No. 70 overall) on Scott to add a plug-and-play slot cornerback to their depleted secondary.
Injuries impacted the unit last year, resulting in four players taking more than 400 snaps on the boundary, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required): Mike Sainristil, Marshon Lattimore, Trey Amos, and Jonathan Jones. Sainristil also led the team in slot snaps with Noah Igbinoghene serving as the No. 2 nickel.
Of that group, only Sainristil and Amos remain. The Commanders signed Amik Robertson in free agency, so Sainristil could take up nickel duties again. Alternatively, they could draft Scott, an electric athlete who showcased his speed and explosiveness at Miami’s Pro Day on Monday. He posted a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe) and brings good length (31.375-inch arms) to the cornerback position despite his below-average height.
Scott broke out in 2025 with a 89.6 grade, the 10th-highest among college cornerbacks, according to PFF, and capped his season off with a defensive MVP performance in the Fiesta Bowl. He posted five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, five passes defended, and two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns (an FBS-high). He primarily played in the slot in Miami, where his short area burst and physical play can impact offenses in a variety of ways. Scott’s is an older prospect – he will be 25 by the start of his rookie year – but that also brings maturity and leadership. He needs to improve his technique and anticipation, no small concerns given his age and experience, but he has all of the pieces to be an impactful nickel in the NFL.
DT Kayden McDonald Books Several Pre-Draft Visits
We are now in “30” visit season, and this year’s draft runup will feature a host of Ohio State products making such travel plans. Next month’s event could see four Buckeyes — Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate — go in the top 10. Another of the Big Ten power’s recent standouts is on the first-round radar as well.
Several teams are set to determine Kayden McDonald‘s draft stock, with the defensive tackle indicating (via SI.com’s Justin Melo) the Bears, Bengals, Commanders, Dolphins, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens and Texans have scheduled visits.
Like in free agency, this draft is not viewed as particularly strong at the position. The dearth of FA options led to a John Franklin-Myers Titans windfall. This draft’s hierarchy at the position is still taking shape, but as it stands, Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board does not include a DT among its top 32 prospects. A few sit just outside that range, however, with McDonald (39th) joining Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter (34), Clemson’s Peter Woods (35) and Florida’s Caleb Banks (36) among those vying to be the first player at the position to come off the board.
A first-team All-American in 2025, McDonald broke through in his junior Buckeyes season by making nine tackles for loss and registering three sacks. Profiling as a power rusher and run-stuffing presence, the disruptive D-lineman weighed 326 pounds at the Combine. He will be of interest to many teams who did not see a deep pool emerge at the position in free agency.
McDonald only has one season featuring notable production, with his 2024 slate — as the Buckeyes stormed to a national championship — only including 1.5 TFLs and no sacks. The bulk of the teams who have scheduled meetings with McDonald use a 4-3 scheme; Ohio State primarily used a 4-2-5 setup during McDonald’s three-year run. Field Yates’ latest NFL mock draft sends McDonald to the Raiders, who will continue using a 3-4 alignment in base sets, at No. 36.
Although the past four drafts have seen a DT go off the board in the top 16, the 2021 class did not bring a first-round investment at the position. It will be interesting to see how teams view this crop, one that may not see a top-20 pick this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/24/26
Today’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S Terrell Burgess
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Foster Sarell
Terrell Burgess is returning to New Orleans following a bounce-back showing with the Saints in 2025. After missing the entire 2024 campaign with a hamstring injury, Burgess proceeded to get into 16 games with his new squad. He compiled 22 stops and three passes defended, with 205 of his 320 snaps coming on special teams.