ASHBURN, Va. - Nick Cross could have taken the sentimental route this spring and signed with the Washington Commanders because they were the team closest to home. Born in Bowie, Md., raised in the area, developed at DeMatha Catholic High School and then the University of Maryland, he fit the profile of a natural return.
But Cross made it clear the decision wasn’t about the map.
“You want to go where you can play and put your skills on display,” Cross said. “You want to go where you’re going to have an opportunity, and where you think you can win. That’s all that matters for me in football - put my skills on display, and go out there and do my thing.”
That’s the bigger question hovering around Commanders camp, even for a player who isn’t actually there: Stefon Diggs. The veteran receiver grew up in Gaithersburg, Md., went to Good Counsel High in Olney and played at Maryland.
He’s a free agent. Washington could use help at wide receiver.
Diggs is coming off an 85-catch, 1,013-yard season with New England, his seventh 1,000-yard campaign in the last eight years.
On paper, it sounds like the easiest reunion in the world. In reality, the hometown factor is only one piece of the puzzle.
“It’s not always that simple,” said Tim Settle Jr., the Commanders defensive tackle who grew up at what’s now known as Unity Reed High School in Manassas, Va.
Settle knows the appeal. He was drafted by Washington out of Virginia Tech in 2018, left for Buffalo as a free agent in 2022, then came back to Washington this offseason after two seasons in Houston. Familiar faces, familiar places, familiar praise - those things matter.
“I got my fanbases out here,” Settle said. “I’m more recognized here.
It’s just a familiarity with the area, and people are familiar with me. I know when I go somewhere, I got higher praise here than I would in, like, Texas.
“I could stay at my grandma’s house tonight if I wanted to. I wouldn’t even have to ask.”
Cross said being near family is a real benefit, but it doesn’t erase the complications.
“It’s good to be around my mom, my dad,” said Cross, who noted that getting from Ashburn to Bowie is not exactly a short hop. “But there are drawbacks to anywhere you play.”
Washington has already lived through one hometown storyline that didn’t turn into the feel-good ending people expected. Chase Young, a Prince George’s County product who played at St.
Vincent Pallotti before transferring to DeMatha and then starred at Ohio State, arrived as the No. 2 pick in 2020 with the sense that he could be a local centerpiece. It didn’t work out, in part because Ron Rivera and his staff were overwhelmed in roster building and coaching.
But Young’s time in Washington also showed that proximity to home doesn’t guarantee comfort.
That point was on display in October 2023, when Greg Young called into “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan after co-host Grant Paulsen discussed Chase Young’s performance and the numbers behind it. Greg Young tried to defend his son with statistics.
Paulsen pushed back. It became one of those strange radio moments that only happens when a player’s family is close enough to hear every critique.
The lesson wasn’t about whether Greg Young was right. It was about the burden that can come with playing near home. A player doesn’t necessarily need parents, relatives and old friends tracking every snap and every radio take.
There are obvious upsides to homecoming signings, but there are also real risks, and the best fit still has to win out.
“There’s a lot to consider when you’re making a choice,” Cross said. “But the fit and the opportunity have to be what’s most important.”
That’s why Diggs remains the name to watch. Washington has been working through camp with Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson and Luke McCaffrey alongside Terry McLaurin with the first-team offense. Combined, that group has 50 catches in 2025 - 35 fewer than Diggs had by himself last season.
A person with knowledge of the situation said the Commanders are monitoring Diggs, who also worked out at the Maryland facility this summer. He appears to be holding out for a two-year deal as he approaches 33 in November.
So the idea lingers: hometown, familiar surroundings, possible fit. Cross took the return home because the opportunity made sense.
Diggs may decide the same way. Or he may not.
“There’s way more to think about,” Cross said.
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