Washington Commanders 2023 Free Agency: Additions And Subtractions

By Mark Solway | March 23rd, 2023

The Washington Commanders enter the 2023 offseason with several holes to fill. While the NFL Draft in April will fill some of those holes, Washington will look to free agency to bolster their roster. NFL free agency officially opened on March 15th, but the Commanders were making moves days before that in the legal tampering period.

This blog will be updated frequently to keep an on-going tally on the moves that Washington have made.

Additions

QB Jacoby Brissett

Washington’s quarterback room will look drastically different in 2023. Only Sam Howell remains from the 2022 roster.

The Commanders inked veteran Jacoby Brissett, who spent last season with the Cleveland Browns. He filled in for the highly touted Deshaun Watson while he served his suspension. Brissett did very well under the circumstances.

Brissett reportedly signed a one year deal worth up to $10 Million, that includes $8 million in guaranteed money

OT Andrew Wylie

The Commanders signed Andrew Wylie from the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for their offensive line re-build. He spent the past five years with Chiefs, starting at both tackle and guard.

He will likely start at right tackle for the Commanders.

He agreed to a three-year deal worth $24 million.

OG Nick Gates

Gates started eight games for the New York Giants last season after rebounding from a compound fracture of his left tibia. The injury actually came in a game against Washington in 2021. It required seven surgeries, and a whopping 410 days to get right again. He played center, guard, and tackle for the Giants – but played mostly at left guard.

The 6’6″ 320 pounder out of Nebraska signed a three-year deal worth a reported $18 Million.

LB Cody Barton

Washington added Seattle Seahawks free agent linebacker Cody Barton. He really only became a starter in 2022, but started in 11 games last season and had two interceptions.

Seattle drafted him out of Utah in the 3rd round – 88th overall – of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He signed a one-year deal.

CB Cameron Dantzler

Washington grabbed Dantzler off of waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.

The cornerback spent his entire three-year career there, after being drafted out of Mississippi State in the 3rd round.

OT Trent Scott

The Commanders signed offensive tackle Trent Scott – who will likely serve as a backup. He does have NFL starts under his belt though.

He was originally signed by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 after going undrafted. He started one game that year after an injury to Russell Okung.  When Okung couldn’t go in 2019, Scott started the first seven games. He would start in nine games total that year.

He was waived by the Chargers in 2020, but picked up by the Carolina Panthers. He started four games for the Panthers before landing on the injured reserve list.

Scott signed a one year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, but did not see any action.

WR Marcus Kemp

Signed on March 3rd, Kemp comes to Washington after his third stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. He won two rings there.

The big wide receiver was signed by K.C. in 2017 after going undrafted, and spent much of his time on the practice squad between 2017 and 2020. He returned to the Chiefs in 2022. Kemp also spent time with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants.

He is a solid special teams player, which is where his best chance to earn a roster spot will be with Washington.

Subtractions

QB Taylor Heinicke

Losing Heinicke was probably the low-light of the offseason so far for many fans. While the decision was understandable and maybe even predictable, the quarterback’s likability made the decision less than palatable to some.

Heinicke gets to “go home” to where he was born and raised. He signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons and is expected to be the backup to sophomore Desmond Ridder.

He is a class act – as evidenced by the “thank you letter” that he left for the Washington fans.

QB Carson Wentz

The Wentz experiment lasted one year. After being injured early in he season and being replaced by Heinicke, Wentz really never got back to where they expected him to be.

And with a potential $30 million cap hit, and a penalty of exactly zero cap dollars to jettison him, the decision to cut him loose was very simple.

He was reported to have signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the deal never materialized.

LB Cole Holcomb

After four years in Washington, Holcomb is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 26-year old started 48 games for the Commanders, after being drafted in the 5th round out of North Carolina in 2019.

He signed a three-year deal worth a reported $18 million.

C Chase Roullier

After six years with the Washington Commanders, Chase Roullier’s time in Washington came to an end. The Commanders announced the release of Roullier with a post-June 1 designation, allowing the team to save $8.37 million next season, with $4 million of dead money.

The 29-year old started 63 games for Washington – but just ten in the last two seasons due to injuries.

RB J.D. McKissic

After three years in Washington, McKissic’s injury issues finally caught up with him. He played in just 19 games over the last two seasons, and couldn’t be counted on.

It’s unfortunate as when he was healthy, he was useful. In parts of three seasons, he rushed for 672 yards on 155 carries, and caught 150 passes for 1,159 yards.

WR Cam Sims

Unfortunately, after five years in Washington, wide receiver Cam Sims has departed for greener pastures.

Sims fought tooth and nail to make it to the active roster, which he finally did in 2020. In three seasons, he played in 47 games – 16 starts – but his most valuable contribution was on special teams. He did however, register a 100-yard game in 2020 against the Giants. The 6’5″ receiver out of Alabama also made countless big catches in his tenure in Washington.

Sims had previously signed one year deals with the Commanders in 2021 and 2022, but decided to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Best of luck to him.

Re-Signed

DT Daron Payne

Perhaps the most important move of the offseason, was retaining Daron Payne. The defensive tackle was an integral part of Washington’s defense last year, and his loss would have been impossible to account for.

He was originally franchise tagged earlier in the offseason, to avoid him entering free agency.

Then the Commanders signed him to a 4-year deal worth as much as $90 million.

If he plays like last year, he’s worth every penny.

DB Jeremy Reaves

After a breakout season for Reaves, Washington did not want to let the restricted free agent leave. They signed him to a right of first refusal tender, that will keep him with the team on a one-year $2.627 million contract.

That seems decent value for a 27-year old who earned a selection on the AP All-Pro team, and a Pro Bowl selection for his Special Teams prowess. His 17 tackles on Special Teams were second best in the NFL.

If another team makes him an offer, the Commanders have the right to match that offer. He could also still sign a longer term deal with Washington, and perhaps lower his cap hit slightly.

DE Efe Obada

Defensive end Efe Obada will return to Washington on a one-year deal worth up to $3 million, Ian Rapoport reported.

The NFL International Pathway star played in all 17 games for Washington last season. Obada played end and slid inside to tackle on some packages, and was able to record four sacks. He tied a career-high 24 tackles which included four tackles for a loss.

Born in Nigeria, he didn’t start playing football until he was 22-years old. He has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, but really found his groove last year with the Commanders.

Updated: March 24th