Late last year, the Washington Commanders were on an eight-game losing streak. En route to a 4-13 record, fans were optimistic about the future because they knew changes were coming. To most fans, the short-term was worth the long-term gain.
In January, a new plan came together when owner Josh Harris pried Adam Peters away to serve as Washington’s general manager. Weeks later, Harris and Peters landed on Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the next head coach.
Peters wasted no time getting to work on the roster. In March, he signed over 20 players and allowed others, such as former starting safety Kam Curl, to walk in free agency. In April, Peters added nine players via the 2024 NFL draft and signed 12 undrafted free agents.
Peters finalized his first 53-man roster as an NFL general manager this week.
The 2024 NFL season kicks off next Thursday, and the Commanders open the season three days later against the Tamp Bay Buccaneers. The offseason is now in the rearview mirror.
Before the games begin, The Athletic spoke with 31 agents in its sixth-annual NFL agent survey, and one of the questions was which NFL team had the best offseason. No surprise, Washington was the winner.
“Commanders. The front office and coaching needed seismic changes. They were wise in free agency and drafted a quarterback (Jayden Daniels) at two. I do not see immediate success, but adding the required building blocks has begun.”
“Dan Quinn is the perfect hire as head coach for the needed culture change. I love the pairing with (GM Adam) Peters. They have so much work to do beyond football.”
The Commanders will be a much-improved team in 2024. While that may not make them a contender yet, Washington’s roster is better, and the coaching staff has improved significantly. Unlike the early days of Dan Snyder winning the offseason, this is actually a positive for the Commanders.