ESPN: Commanders have had best offseason in the NFL

The Washington Commanders have had the best offseason in the NFL.

At least, that’s the view of one prominent ESPN writer, anyway. 

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell gave the Commanders the top spot in his annual ranking of the NFL’s best and worst offseasons. No move, Barnwell, wrote was more impactful than owner Dan Snyder agreeing to sell the franchise to an investment group led by billionaire Josh Harris. 

“You can make a reasonable case that no team made a more significant move to aid their chances of becoming a Super Bowl contender this offseason than the Commanders did by beginning to extricate themselves from their disastrous ownership group, Barnwell wrote, later adding, “Snyder took over one of the most popular franchises and enjoyed virtually no success during his time in charge, and he will make billions of dollars for agreeing to move on.”

Barnwell broke down Washington’s 24 years under Snyder and the previous 24 years under the late Jack Kent Cooke. The difference, as expected, was stark. Barnwell notes that under Cooke, Washington had as many MVPs as Snyder has had playoff wins. From 1974 to 1998, Washington won 58% of its game — and since then that percentage is at 43%. 

In April, Snyder tentatively agreed to sell the team for $6.05 billion to Harris. The contracts for the deal were signed a month later and it now must be vetted by the NFL. So far, the league has raised concerns about the structure of Harris’ bid, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this month that he anticipates it being eventually approved. For Harris’ deal to become official, he must receive votes from 24 of 32 NFL owners. The Commanders announced in November that Snyder was exploring a sale of the franchise, following a series of scandals. 

As it relates to the roster, the Commanders have had a busy — albeit quieter— offseason. The team retained star defensive tackle Daron Payne with a four-year, $90 million deal on the eve of free agency. Then, when the spending period began, Washington took an active approach to shore up its offensive line with key signings of center Nick Gates (three years, $16.5 million) and tackle Andrew Wylie (three years, $24 million). The team also notably declined Chase Young’s fifth-year option, turning down the chance to guarantee the pass rusher nearly $17.5 million in 2024. Young, as it stands, is set to now become a free agent next offseason.