The Washington Commanders spent the offseason trying to remake a defense that needed a jolt, and one of the more intriguing pieces in that overhaul might be the one that drew the least attention at first.
Nick Cross didn’t arrive with the same noise as some of Washington’s bigger moves, but the safety could wind up being one of the most important additions on the roster. ESPN insider John Keim pointed to Cross as Washington’s most underrated move and suggested new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones may be the key to getting the most out of him.
“Coordinator Daronte Jones' system, if he copies what he did in Minnesota as pass game coordinator, calls for a lot of safety involvement -- and having one who can be versatile. With the Vikings it was Josh Metellus, who would be moved around quite a bit.
For Washington, that will be (Nick) Cross. He was a bit overshadowed in the spring, but his importance could be evident in the fall.”
That kind of usage would fit Cross, who signed a two-year, $13 million deal with Washington. The contract includes a $3 million signing bonus and $6.05 million in guaranteed money, a relatively modest price if he settles in as a starting safety and becomes a true No. 1 option for the Commanders.
The bigger question is how that role plays out on the field. Cross was one of the league’s better run-stopping safeties in 2025, but his coverage can still get shaky at times. That balance will matter, and Jones’ ability to put him in the right spots could determine how much value Washington gets from the move.
There’s reason for optimism there. Jones earned this job in part because of his work developing defensive backs, and Washington’s lack of depth at safety makes a larger role for Cross feel almost unavoidable. The former Maryland star got Jones’ approval, and the Commanders didn’t do much else to change the picture on the back end.
Not every decision in the NFL pays off, and that’s especially true when a front office is trying to reshape a defense in one offseason. But Cross looks like a solid bet. If Jones can tap into more of what he does best, Washington may have found a sneaky important piece in its push for a defensive turnaround.
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It also says plenty about how the Commanders are handling the bigger picture at the position. Even with a former first-round cornerback available after his release in Detroit, Washington has not shown interest, a choice that lines up with the organizations repeated emphasis on team culture in personnel decisions. In a league where depth is always worth monitoring, the Commanders appear content to keep their focus on the players already in the building. [Read more 🡒]
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Commanders Just Got A 2026 Label Fans Wont Want Ignored
The Commanders 2025 season ended up looking nothing like the year before, when they reached the NFC Championship, and the 5-12 finish was driven in large part by injuries that kept key pieces out of the lineup. It was the kind of collapse that can make a team look far farther away from contention than it really is, especially when the roster had already shown it could compete at a high level the previous season.
One analyst believes that record may be masking more than it reveals, pointing to Washington as a team that could rebound in 2026 if it gets healthier and benefits from some coaching changes. The bigger question now is whether the Commanders can turn that optimism into something more than a preseason label, because after a year like this, they are going to enter next season with people watching closely to see if the talent is still there. [Read more 🡒]