The Washington Commanders spent the offseason attacking nearly every layer of the roster, but one move has a real chance to matter more than the rest without drawing nearly as much attention.
The obvious headlines came first. Washington locked up left tackle Laremy Tunsil to protect Jayden Daniels.
It added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to the backfield. It brought in Chig Okonkwo to fill the void left by Zach Ertz.
On defense, Adam Peters pushed the unit younger and faster, letting Bobby Wagner, Marshon Lattimore, Von Miller and others reach free agency while adding names like Odafeh Oweh, Leo Chenal, K'Lavon Chaisson and Nick Cross.
Still, ESPN’s John Keim pointed to a different signing as the one that could end up being the most underrated of the bunch.
“Washington made so many moves it's hard to call many of them underrated -- but a lot of the so-called splash ones have been discussed a lot: signing linebackers Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson and Leo Chenal and drafting Sonny Styles. But I'll go with signing veteran safety Nick Cross.
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 Cross. He was a bit overshadowed in the spring, but his importance could be evident in the fall.”
That’s the crux of it: Cross may not have been the flashiest addition, but he fits what Washington wants to do. His value comes from versatility, and Keim tied that directly to how Daronte Jones used Josh Metellus in Minnesota.
Cross arrives with a strong résumé, even if he didn’t get the same offseason buzz as some of the other additions. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, he played out his rookie contract there and put together a productive season last year. He finished with 120 tackles, 72 solo, along with 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, five passes defensed and 10 stuffs.
Washington signed him to a two-year, $13 million contract, a deal that sits well below the top of the safety market. That’s part of what makes it intriguing. If Cross delivers the kind of impact his role suggests, the Commanders may have landed a high-return piece at a relatively modest price.
Of all the moves Washington made, this one looks like the one that slipped through the cracks.
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Commanders May Have A Cheap Answer To Their Biggest Protection Fear
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Even with that continuity, not everyone is buying the units upside just yet. Scott DiBenedetto of Fantasy Points slotted Washingtons line 23rd in his 2026 rankings, pointing to last seasons regression after Jayden Daniels injury and raising questions about whether Cosmi will return to form and whether Paul can hold up in the run game. For a team that wants the line to be a strength, the skepticism is a reminder that reputation and reality are not always the same thing. [Read more 🡒]