Commanders Have All The Resources To Build Around Franchise Qb

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 4:35 AM

commanders have all the resources to build around franchise qb

The Washington Commanders are in a unique position entering free agency as they are armed with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft but also have significant cap space. So, in theory, the Commanders could draft a quarterback at No. 2, say Jayden Daniels, and with their cap space, put multiple star pieces around him to give the LSU star the best chance at succeeding in his first NFL season. We saw Sam Howell struggle in his first year as a starter, due in part to the lack of protection he received as he was sacked 65 times (second-most in the league) and now,... CBS Sports details the rare position that Dan Quinn and the Commanders' hierarchy find themselves in.

"Everyone knows they need a quarterback, and yet they have all the resources to get one and build around him," CBS Sports writes. "Not a single team has more projected cap space ($91 million), which means they should be able to replace jettisoned prospects like Chase Young and Montez Sweat. And the No. 2 overall pick in the draft should still guarantee them one of this year's blue-chip prospects under center." Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters, left, and head coach Dan Quinn, right, listen to first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025.

(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) Washington Commanders first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. speaks to the media during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos (9) reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Randy J. Williams, File) Washington Commanders first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., center, holds his jersey with head coach Dan Quinn, left, and general manager Adam Peters, right, after an NFL football news conference in Ashburn,... (AP Photo/Luis M.

Alvarez) Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters prepares to introduce first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has done more for this organization in one year than any player in recent franchise history.

The Josh Harris era is re-igniting the Commanders' organization, and it started with the hiring of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. Together with their staff, Peters and Quinn collaborated to draft Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. Not only did the new administration convince Daniels to buy into their strategy and scheme, but they also made sure the entire roster was on board. With the entire franchise on the same page, Jayden Daniels spent 2024 shattering records and earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. So, it's not a surprise that Bleacher Report names Daniels one of the top 15 franchise players a team should build around in 2025.

Most fans think of quarterbacks when they think of true franchise players. While the NFL currently has plenty of talent at that position, there are never more than a few truly elite signal-callers in the league at any given time. Patrick Mahomes and reigning MVP Josh Allen are certainly in that category, but they missed the age cutoff for our list. Second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels might not be elite just yet, but he's already closer than any of our honorable mentions. As a rookie with the Washington Commanders last season, Daniels threw for 3,568 yards, rushed for 891 yards, recorded 31 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, carried his team to the NFC title game and... The 24-year-old also showcased an exceptional amount of leadership along the way.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jayden Daniels in the NFL draft got an offensive lineman to protect him for the foreseeable future and a receiver prospect to complement Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, and the Washington Commanders... Not exactly Christmas in April, but for a team fresh off a trip to the NFC championship game that found its franchise quarterback in Daniels and made trade splashes for Samuel and left tackle... Washington took Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. later in the first round and Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos in the second at No. 61.

Amos was under consideration at No. 29, too. “I didn’t think Conerly was going to be there when we picked, and I certainly didn’t think Amos was going to be there when we picked,” Peters said. "We feel like we got two players that were first-round quality, so we’re thrilled and I think the board fell to us pretty well.” Add fourth-round receiver Jaylin Lane out of Virginia Tech, sixth-round linebacker Kain Medrano out of UCLA and seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt out of Arizona, and the Commanders can feel good about their offseason. High winds and drought conditions increase fire concerns on Sunday.

Amos was under consideration at No. 29, too. “I didn’t think Conerly was going to be there when we picked, and I certainly didn’t think Amos was going to be there when we picked,” Peters said. "We feel like we got two players that were first-round quality, so we’re thrilled and I think the board fell to us pretty well.” It’s not a stretch to say that Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is already one of the NFL’s best athletes. Daniels, the No.

2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, is the type of player that just doesn’t come around very often — a dual-threat quarterback who comes into the league as a polished passer and... With 55 college starts he also has the type of experience usually lacking for someone in his position. PFF’s Dalton Wasserman pointed to Daniels as the reason for optimism for the Commanders in 2024 as the team tries to put together its first winning season since 2016 with a totally retooled roster. “Washington selected LSU’s Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in this year’s draft. He’s the face of a new regime that has overhauled its roster with hopes of competing sooner rather than later,” Wasserman wrote. “Daniels enters the NFL as one of the best athletes at the quarterback position.

He led all FBS quarterbacks in overall grade and rushing yards last season while finishing second in passing grade. He also holds the Power Five record with a career 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate (minimum of 600 dropbacks). The Commanders finally have a franchise quarterback.” As the No. 2 overall pick, Daniels received a fully guaranteed 4-year, $37.7 million contract with a fifth-year option for 2028.

Commanders Have All The Resources To Build Around Franchise Qb

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