The Washington Commanders are taking another look at the veteran market after losing one of their recent additions, and this time the opportunity goes to Byron Cowart.
According to independent Commanders insider Ben Standig, later confirmed by other beat writers, Washington is signing the interior lineman after a successful tryout. The move comes after the team had a few veteran retirements this summer, with recently acquired defensive lineman D.J.
Davidson the latest to step away. General manager Adam Peters did not immediately bring in a replacement, but that has now changed.
Cowart is trying to get his NFL career moving again after a long layoff. The 2019 fifth-round selection has not appeared in a game since the 2024 season, and he spent most of last year on the shelf because of an ankle complication. Even with that gap, Washington clearly saw enough during the tryout to think he can still contribute.
There will be a little built-in comfort for him once he gets to work. Tight end Chig Okonkwo and defensive back Qwuantrezz Knight were teammates with Cowart at Maryland, which should make the transition a bit easier.
Whether he sticks is another matter. Cowart could end up as little more than a camp body, and this may be his last real shot to land on an NFL roster. But if he comes in hot, there is at least a path to climbing the depth chart.
That path exists because Washington’s defensive front still has some questions behind the top names. The Commanders are shifting to a 3-4 base under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, and Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and free-agent signing Tim Settle Jr. appear set as the starting group. The team is also looking for more from Johnny Newton in Year 3, with the pass-rush flashes there but the need to get stronger against the run before he can earn a bigger role.
After those pieces, the depth gets thinner.
Charles Omenihu and Deatrich Wise Jr., when healthy, can work as 3-4 ends or outside linebackers in Jones’ system. Shy Tuttle has played nose tackle before, but his recent career arc does not exactly suggest stability. That leaves a lane for Cowart, who checks in at 6-foot-3 and more than 300 pounds and has the size to handle the nose.
He is not arriving from nowhere, either. Cowart put up 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks with the Chicago Bears in 2024, proof that there is still some value left in his game.
For Peters, this is more competition, and that has been the point. The Commanders spent the offseason trying to raise the floor of the roster, and they appear to be in a better spot now in terms of quality and depth. After last season’s injury mess, that had to be addressed.
Davidson apparently decided enough was enough and retired at 26. Cowart is taking the opposite route, betting he still has something to prove.
Now he gets one more chance to make enough noise before final cuts arrive. It is a long shot, but it is a shot.
In Other News...
Commanders May Have Found A Surprise Answer To Their Pass Rush
Washington has spent the offseason trying to add more teeth to a pass rush that needs more reliable pressure, bringing in edge rushers Odafe Oweh and KLavon Chaisson while also using the draft to add linebacker Sonny Styles. The broader idea is clear: the Commanders want more disruption off the edge and more help making life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks, and camp has already started to sort out who fits into that mix.
One rookie has begun to stand out in that competition, even while he is still getting comfortable in Daronte Jones defensive system. As he works through the playbook, he has shown enough in training camp to get noticed, giving Washington another possible answer at a spot where it can use all the help it can get. The command now is simple enough, even if the path there is not: keep building the rush, and let the young players keep forcing the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Add A Familiar D.C. Name To Their Linebacker Room
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To make room, Washington also moved on from guard Sala Aumavae-Laulu and safety Rob McDaniel. The roster shuffle is the kind of spring and summer churn that often reshapes the back end of a roster, especially for a team still sorting out the right mix of depth pieces before the competition picks up in earnest. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Moody Is Putting Washingtons Kicking Decision In Real Doubt
Washingtons kicking picture has taken on an unexpectedly unsettled feel in training camp, and Jake Moody is right in the middle of it. The Commanders brought him in to stabilize a spot that can flip games in a hurry, but his accuracy has slipped in his second and third NFL seasons, leaving the staff to watch every rep a little more closely than planned.
Moody is trying to reclaim the consistency that made him a safer bet earlier in his career, yet the urgency around the job keeps growing. With his future in Washington far from settled, every practice kick now carries a little extra weight, and the Commanders are getting a reminder that even one of the least glamorous positions on the roster can become one of the most scrutinized. [Read more 🡒]