Best Free Agents so far?

The adults are in the room.

For the Washington Commanders, there can be no better evidence of a new post-Dan Snyder era than the work put in this off-season in free agency.

New GM, Adam Peters, hugely respected around the league, has made a number of smart moves to begin the rebuild of a once proud franchise.

And whilst the burgundy & gold are a season or two away from attaining those ‘icing on the roster cake’ FA guys, it is very apparent that D.C is no longer a destination where a players agent would tread with understandable trepidation.

Here at UKHTTC, regular contributor Tony Wheat of Full Press Washington, plus UKHTTC founder, Christian Burt, offer up their thoughts as to a) the best 2024 FA signing (so far) and also the best to re-sign with the Commanders.

First up, Tony.

Best FA signing:

Frankie Luvu (LB)

Frankie Luvu was one of my main targets when free agency began. A dynamic, sideline to sideline linebacker with a mean streak, Luvu could be the perfect attack dog for the Quinn/Whitt defense.

The new Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator combo made it clear right from their introductory pressers that they wanted to be an aggressive, physical defense who play fast and with a healthy degree of old school snarl and nastiness.

Frankie fits that bill perfectly.

Having risen from being an undrafted free agent to a special teams ace before finally coming into his own as a starter, Luvu can also rush the passer, with 12.5 sacks over the last 2 seasons being a valuable extra string to his bow.

Initially it appeared that he would slot in as the mike linebacker with the green dot, until the arrival of a certain Bobby Wagner likely put paid to that.

It's clear that this coaching staff and front office value the linebacker position much higher than their predecessors, and the arrival of Luvu and Wagner may also have the added benefit of freeing up the athletically gifted but often slow to react Jamin Davis to a role that better suits his skill set.

That may be as a hybrid edge rusher which may be a way of fully unlocking the undoubted ability of the 2021 first rounder.

The attitude and big personality should endear him to the Commanders faithful, and as the man himself said at his introductory presser "You can put me anywhere....and we're gonna go get it". Former teammate Shaq Thompson added " He's a fast twitch guy and just makes plays".

How long is it since the Commanders have had one of those?

Best re-signing:

Jeremy Reaves

The new front office has made it pretty clear what they think of this year's Commanders free agents.

They've largely been allowed to leave as a roster overhaul has begun in earnest. I nearly chose Cornelius Lucas in this spot because despite not being a regular starter, he has played solid football when given an opportunity and should slot in as a useful swing tackle.

However, I decided to go with Jeremy Reaves for a few reasons but mainly because he's the kind of guy I'd want on my team. His story is inspirational having survived 3 coaching regimes and is now returning from the ACL that he suffered early in the 2023 season.

A recent interview with John Keim showcased a mature, self-aware individual who was extremely thankful for the opportunity that he has and is determined to make the most of it.

A 2022 Pro Bowler as a special teamer, Reaves also made an impact as a backup safety and is the kind of tone setting, high character, inspirational locker room presence that every team needs.

As the re-build continues apace, having a fan favourite who should be able to play at a high-level return to the team was a smart move by the front office.

Over to Christian.

Best FA signing(s)

Clelin Ferrell (DE) and Dante Fowler Jr (DE)

In typical UKHTTC style, I have cheated a bit here and gone for two guys.

After the trading of both Montez Sweat and Chase Young, I would have been wary going into the 2024 draft and perhaps reaching for a rookie DE.

Under Adam Peters, the Commanders are now a much smarter organisation and I love the capture of two very experienced DEs, who individually bring differing skill sets to the DE position.

Ferrell can set the edge on first and second down and is my prediction to be the most surprisingly productive of the free agent captures in 2024.

He is a former high first rounder and playing in a Dan Quinn Defence, Clelin will become an invaluable piece of the DL. I expect Daron Payne and Jon Allen to benefit from the Ferrell signing too.

Bonus player: love the signature of essentially a third down pass rush specialist in Dante Fowler Jnr. No thrills here, just bull rush power to get to the QB on obvious pass plays.

Maybe this is a reach of a take, but I actually prefer the look of the DL now than I did with Young and Sweat.

Sometimes getting some new guys from outside the building, with their own unique experiences elsewhere in the NFL is a good thing than the ‘all-drafted’ DL of the last few years.

Best re-signing:

Cornelius Lucas

Every NFL roster needs a dependable swing tackle and Cornelius provides that depth at both tackle slots.

You’d expect that Washington will be keen to write the names of a tackle or two in days two and three of the 2024 Draft, but Lucas is excellent value at $2.8m dollars. The 33-year-old is exactly the right price for the position and has been a durable (only three injury weeks since 2020) NFL player since he came into the league in 2014.

It would worry me a tad if Lucas was the starter at either RT or LT but expect Peters to take advantage of further cuts around the league and the aforementioned draft to further solidify the OL unit.