Wentz not likely to be the only cap casualty for the Commanders

Days before the Washington Commanders’ season ended, Carson Wentz offered to talk to a few reporters standing near his locker. The quarterback, demoted to third string, acknowledged the obvious:  The year had been a “roller coaster,” one that he didn’t expect when the team acquired him last spring.  

And now that the ride is over, he’s unlikely to be back. 

“There’s a lot of unknown,” Wentz said when asked about his future. “A lot of unknown. That’s part of this business, part of the position that I play. … We’ll see what the heck God has in store next.” 

The Commanders can save slightly more than $26 million by cutting Wentz at no cost — making it all but a formality that the 30-year-old will be released in the coming weeks. Such a move will free up significant salary cap room for the Commanders, who only have a projected $7.3 million in space, according to Over The Cap. 

But Wentz won’t be the only cap casualty. The NFL’s yearly roster churn can lead to surprising releases, as was the case last year when the Commanders unexpectedly cut defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis and guard Ereck Flowers to make room for Wentz’s $28.3 million cap hit. 

With the offseason underway, let’s examine some possible non-Wentz players who might be on the chopping block for the Commanders. 

Chase Roullier, center: At a season-ending press conference last week, coach Ron Rivera said figuring out the Commanders’ situation at a center was a priority. For the second straight year, the team rotated through several players at the position in large part because Roullier suffered a season-ending injury. 

Roullier, who signed a four-year, $40.5 million contract extension in January 2021, holds a $12.4 million cap hit next season — a relatively high number for a veteran who played just two games last season and is coming off knee surgery. If the Commanders cut Roullier, the team would clear a projected $4.7 million in space. But the move would leave more than $8 million on the books because of money already paid for Roullier’s signing bonus. 

When available, Roullier has been a steady and smart player on the interior. Perhaps a contract restructure makes the most sense, but expect the Commanders to add at this position regardless.

Andrew Norwell, guard: General manager Martin Mayhew said the Commanders want to get younger on the offensive line. An easy way to do that would be to cut Norwell, the 31-year-old who started 16 games last season. Norwell, entering the final year of his two-year, $10 million contract, carries a cap hit of $5 million — but the Commanders can save nearly $2.3 million by cutting him. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Norwell gave up four sacks and 29 pressures. As an offense, the Commanders gave up the seventh-most amount of sacks in 2022 with 47. The Commanders struggled to replace the offseason losses of Flowers and All-Pro Brandon Scherff. They opted to sign Norwell and Trai Turner, two veterans who didn’t work out as planned. 

J.D. McKissic, running back: Earlier this month, Rivera indicated that McKissic’s football future could up in the air after the running back suffered season-ending neck injuries in back-to-back seasons. Even before his latest injury, however, McKissic failed to match the same level of production in 2022 as his last two years — recording only 262 yards from scrimmage in eight games. That wasn’t what the Commanders envisioned when they celebrated McKissic’s last-second reversal to spur the Buffalo Bills and re-sign with Washington last offseason.

According to Over The Cap, cutting McKissic would clear $1.2 million in cap room.

Logan Thomas, tight end: In 2022, Thomas looked very much like a player coming off a torn ACL. The 31-year-old didn’t look as explosive and finished with only 39 catches for 323 yards in 14 games. Perplexingly, Thomas was largely ignored in the red zone — a choice that could partly explain why the Commanders fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner last week. 

As of now, Thomas holds Washington’s 10th-highest cap hit next season at $8.6 million. The Commanders can save nearly $5.2 million by cutting him — though the team’s lack of an obvious replacement may prevent them from doing so. Even with Thomas’ ups and downs, he still outgained John Bates, Cole Turner and the other tight ends on the roster. 

Kendall Fuller, cornerback: Fuller was Washington’s most productive — and reliable — cornerback this past season as he played every game and finished with three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. 

However, from just a pure cost-cutting standpoint, Fuller’s release would clear $8.5 million off next season’s books. That’s the second-highest amount Washington can save with one move, outside of cutting Wentz. Fuller, too, is entering the last year of the four-year, $40 million contract he signed in 2020.

But like with Thomas, the lack of viable replacements is alarming. Benjamin St-Juste could become Washington’s best corner after a promising second season, but his year was again limited by injury. After that, there’s a steep, steep dropoff. Safety Bobby McCain ended up playing as the team’s primary slot corner, while veteran Danny Johnson, Rachad Wildgoose and seventh-rounder Christian Holmes served as backups. Johnson is set to be a free agent.

“It is a position of interest for us,” Rivera said of cornerback.