Shocking salary cap cut can now be Commanders’ saving grace at key position during free agency
The Commanders have a new target in free agency who can fix a weak link on the defense, and likely at a very reasonable price.
The Washington Commanders’ list of offseason targets continues to grow with the NFL free agency period kicking off next week.
Expect the Commanders to be very active, but also selective on who they want to target in free agency. The defense will have a lot of focus on it after bringing in Daronte Jones as the new defensive coordinator this offseason, and an abysmal 2025 season.
There’s a new LB on the Commanders’ list after the Chicago Bears released LB Tremaine Edmunds as a salary cap casualty.
The Chicago Bears released LB Tremaine Edmunds to add another top LB on the market
Teams around the league are having to trim their rosters to get back in the positive with their salary cap, which means difficult decisions will have to be made. The Bears were a victim of this exact scenario and had to release Edmunds, with him having the seventh-highest cap hit on their team in 2026.
The Commanders made space of their own after releasing Marshon Lattimore, and now they can reinvest it in the defense on a guy like Edmunds, who is a younger option this offseason as well. There’s an obvious need a LB this offseason, especially if they move on from veteran Bobby Wagner as they should.
Should the Commanders bring Tremaine Edmunds home?
Edmunds is a Virginia native and a former first-round pick out of Virginia Tech, who I’m sure would love to come back home and be closer to his family. Should the Commanders make it happen, though? Why not.
He’s 6-5, 250 pounds, and just 27 years old, which is everything the Commanders need. Edmunds thrives when it comes to stopping the run, but his passing coverage would be the weakest part of his game if you had to pick one.
He does show flashes when he drops into coverage, but he also allowed 530 receiving yards in 2025, which is around the middle of the pack in the NFL. He isn’t a liability like Wagner by any means, and just as stout in the run game. Edmunds had four interceptions in 2025 as well, which was the third-most by a LB, and something else that the Commanders haven’t had for a long time.
The Commanders should absolutely check in on Edmunds’ market value, and maybe get a hometown discount to bring him to Washington. He would fit into Jones’ scheme, bring experience, and still get much younger at the position.
Washington Commanders News
Commanders may have tipped their hand on first free agency move they’ll make after confusing roster decision
The Commanders have a lot of work to do in free agency, but they may already know the first player they want after a surprise release.
