Jayden Daniels shows his true feelings about Commanders' latest free agency decision that helps him take the next step
We are just a little more than a day away from the start of NFL free agency's legal tampering period. Once 12 p.m. ET hits on March 10, the league's version of the Wild West commences. Until then, teams can re-sign their own impending free agents in order to avoid potential bidding wars. They can also […]
We are just a little more than a day away from the start of NFL free agency's legal tampering period. Once 12 p.m. ET hits on March 10, the league's version of the Wild West commences.
Until then, teams can re-sign their own impending free agents in order to avoid potential bidding wars. They can also trade for other players, just like the Washington Commanders did with Pro Bowl wideout Deebo Samuel, but players can't join the team until the new league year starts at 4 p.m. ET on March 12.
The Commanders' trade for Samuel isn't the only move they've made so far. They re-signed both linebacker Bobby Wagner and kicker Zane Gonzalez before the weekend and now, they've locked up tight end Zach Ertz on a one-year, $6.25 million deal worth up to $9 million after incentives, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Ertz was a key factor in the Commanders offense last year, as he made several clutch plays and helped Jayden Daniels develop during his historical rookie year. It's a big move for Washington, and Daniels clearly loves it, as he expressed as much on Instagram after the signing was announced:
Ertz easily had his best season since 2019. He caught 66 passes for 654-yards and seven touchdowns over the course of a full 17-game season. All of those numbers are a career-best since he logged 88 receptions for 916-yards and six touchdowns with the Philadelphia Eagles in '19. His 72.5% catch rate is the third-best mark of his career and his best since 2018 and his 63.7% success rate is easily his career-high, shattering his previous high of 58.4% he set all the way back in 2014.
For the year, Ertz's 66 receptions ranked seventh, his 654 receiving yards ranked 11th, and his seven touchdowns tied for fourth-most among all tight ends in 2024. It's obvious he's a great fit with Daniels in Washington and 2025 should be even better as the Commanders upgrade the offense through free agency and the draft.
Commanders already have a big free agency advantage over the rest of the NFL and it hasn’t even started yet
No one expected the Washington Commanders to do what it did last year and a big reason why was because of the team's subtle free agency moves. Granted, there were a ton of them – 25 players were either extended or brought in from the outside during the first month of the new league year. […]
