Patriots’ Super Bowl run shows Commanders offseason approach they must take to replicate success
The Patriots built around Drake Maye in the offseason so he could succeed, while the Commanders leaned on Jayden Daniels for success.
The 2026 season is officially over, and the New England Patriots came up short in Super Bowl LX, but they weren’t supposed to be there in the first place with a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye.
The Washington Commanders almost did the same in 2o24 during quarterback Jayden Daniels’ rookie season, but came up short in the NFC Championship game due to the lack of a supportive roster. The Patriots went into the 2025 offseason with a mission to build around Maye, while the Commanders became content with their early success and played it safe.
A full season later, the Patriots made it to the big game, while the Commanders went 5-12 and made a load of coaching changes. This offseason, the Commanders need to be active and give Daniels a team to work with.
The Commanders need to replicate the Patriots’ approach this offseason
You can debate Maye and Daniels all you want, but there’s no argument on who had the better supporting cast in 2025. Even with his injuries, Daniels never had a real chance to succeed with a lack of weapons on offense and a defense that started the game with a double-digit deficit.
The Patriots went all-in during free agency, which can sometimes backfire, but they landed big-name players and under-the-radar guys who were huge contributors in their run to the Super Bowl. The Commanders had a very conservative approach by signing guys like Javon Kinlaw, Will Harris, and Deatrich Wise. This approach was never going to work, and trading for Laremy Tunsil just wasn’t enough of an impact. Now, the Commanders need to be aggressive and give Daniels a better supporting cast.
The Commanders have some hurdles to clear in the process
The Patriots now have a set roster with only 14 free agents this offseason, while the Commanders have an NFL-high 33, and many should be replaced with upgrades. The NFL is also getting yet another salary cap boost this offseason, which will help the Commanders keep some free agents around. The Commanders also had the second-highest salary cap rollover due to their lack of spending last offseason, so that will give them more to work with.
The Commanders currently have the fifth-most salary cap room as the season wraps up, and they have many more moves that can free up additional space. Tunsil getting his extension should help free up some salary cap for the offseason, depending on how they structure it, and releasing Marshon Lattimore will save an extra $18.5 million.
Adam Peters will have many opportunities to prove himself this offseasonwith contract negotiations, free agency, and having only six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it’ll be a make-or-break offseason for a lot of people.
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