One of the NFL's best free agents recently made himself a top target for Commanders and it makes a lot of sense
The 2025 offseason is going to be a lot different than last year for the Washington Commanders, but one things that remains the same is the fact the defense still needs help at the cornerback position.Yes, even with the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore and the development of Mike Sainristil. Lattimore's health will be a big […]
The 2025 offseason is going to be a lot different than last year for the Washington Commanders, but one things that remains the same is the fact the defense still needs help at the cornerback position.
Yes, even with the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore and the development of Mike Sainristil. Lattimore's health will be a big storyline to monitor, even after a full offseason of recovery and his on-field play is another topic to watch. Lattimore underperformed in 2024, making 2025 a very important year.
Sainristil's development is also two-fold in the sense of does he take a step forward in 2025? Signs point to "yes", but we've seen plenty of players regress after successful seasons, especially in Year 2.
And as of now, those two guys are the only cornerbacks slated to be on the roster when the new league year starts on March 12. So, the Commanders are obviously going to have to fill those spots with someone.
Fortunately for them, one of the NFL's top impending free agents made it very clear he will enter the market: Charvarius Ward.
Ward is a perfect fit for the Commanders defense
At 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, Ward is a very good press corner and is also very adept at zone coverage. He has played the shadow role often in his career, but can play effectively on the perimeter or the boundary, meaning the Commanders can move him around if they want. Or, they can let him follow the opposing offense's No. 1 guy all day long.
Entering his age-29 season, Ward is still in his prime and he comes in at No. 13 on Pro Football Focus' top 100 free agents list. He's coming off a down year, but he also tragically lost his daughter during the regular season. That's going to have an effect on anyone, it doesn't matter who they are. In fact, it's playing a role in his desire to leave San Francisco, as he's battled PTSD since. It impacts his girlfriend negatively, as well, simply creating a bad situation, all-around.
It’s impossible not to empathize with Ward. It’s been a little more than four months since he lost his 1-year-old daughter. That tragedy caused Mooney to be away from the 49ers for a few weeks. So, when Ward said the state of California reminds him of the worst year of his life, John Lynch and the front office knew they’d need a new starting cornerback in 2025. – Kyle Posey, Niners Nation
Ward would immediately give the Commanders the NFL's best cornerback trio and he wouldn't even really have to bump Lattimore to the "No. 2 role", so to speak. Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. could come up with weekly game plans that allow both guys to play in the best position(s) possible for them. Sainristil would slide back inside, offsetting the potential loss of Noah Igbinoghene. Even if Igbinoghene returns, the Commanders now have solid depth at nickel and two guys on the perimeter who can match up with just about anyone. There's also the fact Sainristil could pop outside whenever needed, adding more depth and flexibility to the secondary.
There's also the Adam Peters connection, as Ward played in San Francisco the last three years. The two are familiar with one another, which adds another logical layer to Ward joining the Commanders.
Ward won't break the bank, either, which is another reason to go after him
Right now, Spotrac estimates Ward's market value to be $15.3 million per year and NFL contract analysts Josh Queipo and Kyle DeDiminicantanio project it to be $14.5 million per year. Both numbers are affordable, not only because the Commanders are currently projected to have more than $68 million in effective cap space heading into the offseason, but also due to the fact it's only around $2-$3 million more than the average salary for the cornerback position in 2024 (non-rookies only). To pay that much more than "average" for a borderline-elite player is a win, for sure.
Both of those numbers are actually lower than what Lattimore is scheduled to make in both 2025 and 2026, as well. However, I do personally think Ward will bring something in around the $16-$17 million per year range, but that obviously won't be the true cap hit in 2025.
It's a move that all-around, makes a lot of sense. If the Commanders pull it off, they'll immediately improve a key part of the defense that should easily help them build off an incredible 2024 season.
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