Washington Commanders' latest move keeps underrated yet key core intact for the future and there could be an added bonus
All offseason long, the Washington Commanders have made the effort to improve the roster while keeping key positions from last season intact.General manager Adam Peters has been making deals all offseason (just not Terry McLaurin yet) and his latest move is the final piece that keeps a very potent special teams duo together for one […]
All offseason long, the Washington Commanders have made the effort to improve the roster while keeping key positions from last season intact.
General manager Adam Peters has been making deals all offseason (just not Terry McLaurin yet) and his latest move is the final piece that keeps a very potent special teams duo together for one more season.
It's hard to make it through a roster overhaul by a new regime, but that's exactly what Percy Butler did. And, he played well enough to where it earned him a one-year extension that keeps him with the Commanders through 2026.
Keeping the special teams connected
Even though it's not the flashiest side of football by any means, special teams is just as important, especially when the majority of the Commanders' games came down to the wire last season. The duo of Butler and standout Jeremy Reaves are a very solid duo that makes not just big plays, but unappreciated ones.
Butler's aggressiveness and passion on special teams pops out when you put on the tape. He comes down field with a purpose and it's clear Adam Peters and the coaching staff like what they see in him.
Per Pro Football Focus, Butler graded out as the 20th-best special teams player out of 90 qualifying players with at least 292 teams snaps during the regular season. He also tied for the 11th-most special teams tackles out of the aforementioned players.
Dan Quinn and Co. have made it very clear how much the special teams unit is valued and how they want nothing but dogs comprising it. It's clear Peters is on the same page, as he also extended Jeremy Reaves at the end of minicamp.
This helps keep a vital core together: The Commanders were the only NFL team to have three players in the top-11 and two in the top-3 of special teams tackles, with Nick Bellore tying for first and Reaves tying for third.
The move also adds needed depth in the safety room
One of my biggest worries for the season is how stable the depth in the safety room is this season, especially with how many defensive snaps the backups saw last season.
Butler played 399 total snaps on defense in 2024, while Reaves saw the field on defense for only five. Washington has some options when it comes to depth, but will they keep four or five safeties after roster cuts? Having key roles on special teams and recent one-year extensions might be what keeps Butler and Reaves around.
The team likes Tyler Owens, as well, and they've had him running with the first-team defense at training camp so far to see what he's got. Rookie Kain Medrano can also get tossed himself into the mix if he's used use him as a safety on subpackages with his range and coverage ability.
Keeping the special teams duo together was an important move to make by Peters and if they can get more from Butler and Reaves as depth on defense, then it'll be an added bonus that makes the investment even better.
Three position groups with the most to prove as the Washington Commanders report to training camp this week
Washington needs to see improvements from these positions
