ESPN makes a major mistake by giving the Commanders props for the wrong reasons and it’s easy to see why
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Commanders’ best move of the offseason was the improvements they made to the secondary. It’s the wrong take for multiple reasons.
The Washington Commanders kicked off OTAs on Wednesday and there have been some intriguing developments since.
At the same time, we are in the drier part of the offseason where there’s not a ton of relevant stuff to talk about. Therefore, some major outlets are reflecting the moves made during free agency and the draft in order to fill gaps ahead of training camp.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently released an article detailing the best and worst offseason moves for every NFC team. And, um, let’s just say he made a very bad decision when it came to naming the Commanders’ best move of the offseason:
Best: Upgrading in the secondary.
If you watched the Commanders attempt to play pass defense last season, you might be eligible for financial compensation. When their front four didn’t get pressure last season, Dan Quinn’s defense allowed 9.3 yards per dropback. That was the worst mark of any team in the NFL and the second-worst mark of any defense in that scenario over the past 10 years.
Bill barnwell
ESPN
The Commanders’ best offseason move was upgrading the front seven, by far
With all due respect, I don’t know what Barnwell is thinking, here. The additions of Amik Robertson, who struggled mightily in 2025, Nick Cross, and Akhello Witherspoon move the needle more than Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Tim Settle, and Charles Omenihu?
I mean, the Commanders totally revamped the front seven, including the pass rush. Sure, the secondary has a low bar to clear when it comes to improvements in 2026, but you can’t convince me the secondary improvements outweigh the front seven.
The Commanders didn’t even draft a cornerback or safety! The additions they made will not outweigh the front seven unless Cross and Robertson both earn Pro Bowl nods, at minimum. And that’s very unlikely to happen.
It doesn’t even make sense, contractually. Neither Robertson, Cross, or Witherspoon received deals averaging eight figures per year. Both Oweh and Chaisson were given those contracts, with Styles and Chenal not being too far off.
As a matter of fact, one can easily argue the secondary is still the worst position on the defense and the team, as a whole. The starters are questionable and the depth is shaky, at best. That’s not a situation any team wants to be in.
In fact, the front seven should mitigate a lot of the issues with the secondary thanks to the improvements. It’s simply a weird decision from Barnwell, who is usually on point with this kind of stuff.