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The Commanders made what were relatively seismic moves on the offensive line in the offseason.
At left offensive tackle, the Commanders made a trade for 4-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil to block for Daniels’ blind side. In the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, Washington selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29 overall.
Even with those 2 moves, another under-the-radar move might be just as important — when Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced Coleman was being moved inside to left guard.
That move spelled the beginning of the end for Allegretti, who only started 13 regular season games in 5 seasons with the Chiefs.
The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala predicts that [Washington] could [part] ways with veteran and 3-time Super Bowl champion Nick Allegretti.
Allegretti signed a 3-year, $16 million contract with the Commanders before the 2024 season after he spent the first 5 seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played in 4 Super Bowls and won 3 of them.
If anyone on the Commanders’ roster cashes in this offseason, it’s likely to be Tunsil, who could land a lucrative extension after he showed he’s still one of the NFL’s elite left offensive tackles in 2025.
Riggo’s Rag
When Daron Payne was drafted at No. 13 overall in 2018, Jay Gruden was the head coach. Alex Smith had just been acquired as the team’s quarterback. The only player on Washington’s roster who has been there longer than the Alabama product is punter Tress Way.
For many years, Payne and fellow Crimson Tide alum Jonathan Allen gave Washington a fearsome interior duo in the trenches. His best season came in 2022, when he recorded 11.5 sacks and made his only Pro Bowl appearance. But in the three years since then, his production has steadily dropped off.
Entering the final year of his four-year, $90 million contract, this is the time to seek a trade partner for Payne. He likely isn’t going to return to his high-end starter form, but there may still be moderate interest in the eight-year pro. He could be a valuable asset for a win-now team looking to beef up its defensive line.
The Commanders only own six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and only two in the first four rounds, thanks to a multitude of selections given up for Marshon Lattimore, Deebo Samuel Sr., and Laremy Tunsil. Any capital Peters can net in return for him would be a positive, and it will also be important to unload Payne so that Washington can focus on getting younger.
Washington could sign a younger, cheaper player to replace Payne, or put its trust in the development of Johnny Newton, who showed flashes in the pass-rush game toward the end of the 2025 season despite his limitations as a run stopper. Either...
