Grading the signing: Commanders address biggest liability on defense with underrated rising star
The Commanders gave defensive coordinator Daronte Jones a new playmaker in the secondary with their latest free agency signing.
The Washington Commanders have gone all-in on overhauling their defense after a historically bad season in 2025.
They added pass rush help with Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson coming to Washington, and now it was time for them to fix the secondary. After adding Amik Robertson at CB, the safety room was the next glaring weakness.
The Commanders continue their trend of getting younger and faster by signing safety Nick Cross to return to the DMV and fix the secondary.
Commanders sign free agent Safety Nick Cross
The safety free agent group had some sneaky players who could become a major impact, and the Commanders picked Cross to be that guy, and he’s signing a two-year deal worth up to $14 millon.
A to Z Sports Indianapolis beat writer Destin Adams thinks the Commanders may have a gem if they can bring out his best.
“Nick Cross was probably the most underrated of the Colts’ in-house free agents this offseason. Through the first half of the year, he was playing at an elite level and was being asked to wear a lot of hats in Lou Anarumo’s defense. It was his best display of coverage ability we’ve seen to date, and his ability to attack the hole in the run game was as strong as ever. The area of his game that impressed me the most was his effectiveness as a blitzer. He got very good at disguising his intention to rush the passer and was able to speed up the QB’s throw at a high rate. If the Commanders can help him be more consistent and play at the level we saw early last year, we could be talking about him being one of the best free agency signings of the cycle this time next year.” – Destin Adams, A to Z Sports Indianapolis
Grading the signing of Safety Nick Cross
The Commanders’ safety room was one of the worst in the league last season, and we saw them give up explosive plays in the passing game and miss routine tackles as the biggest liability on defense. They don’t have much quality that can start, and Cross fills that void and adds youth, speed, and athleticism.
Cross is just 24 years old, and he’s played all over a complex Indianapolis Colts defense at 6-0, 212 pounds, including in the box, out at free safety, and even at nickel corner. He’s an elite blitzer and one of the best run-stopping safeties in the league.
Cross had the second most run stuffs in 2025 with 10, and 59 run tackles. His coverage ability is where his inconsistencies fall, but he was also asked to do a lot. He has room to develop, and the Commanders got him on a very fair deal at a maximum of $7 million per year. This is a no-risk, high-reward signing at a position that desperately needed it.
GRADE: A-
Washington Commanders News
Commanders 2026 NFL Free Agency Tracker: Every free agent signing, in-house return, and release made by Washington
Every move the Commanders make during the 2026 NFL free agency period, including big-splash signings, in-house returns, and surprise releases.
