NFL free agency is less than one month away, and one NFL insider thinks the Washington Commanders could be capable of “fireworks” next month.
“And now you have where the Commanders are this year, and they still have a lot of cap space, coming off a really disappointing season,” Ian Rapoport said.
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“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some fireworks here, knowing how important it is, how much space they have and the window they have with a good, young quarterback. The time to spend is now.”
The Commanders have money to spend and ways to create more. But they also have a lot of holes. Washington is mostly set on offense, but still needs a wide receiver or two, including a starter, a pass-catching tight end, and a running back. Defensively, the Commanders need multiple starters. One position of interest is linebacker. Bobby Wagner will be 36 in 2026. While he’s been excellent for Washington in his two seasons, teams often exposed Wagner in coverage last season.
Wagner is a free agent. He hasn’t said whether or not he plans to continue playing next season, but judging by GM Adam Peters’ comments about needing to get “younger and faster,” it’s safe to assume the Commanders will likely move on from the future Hall of Famer.
The top available free-agent linebacker, Devin Lloyd of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is coming off a career year and is 27 years old. The Jaguars are not expected to place the franchise tag on Lloyd, as it will be around $27.5 million in 2026. Jacksonville is currently $11 million in the hole. So, while the Jags want to keep Lloyd, it makes the most sense to get a long-term deal done.
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What does Lloyd want?
“I want to be where God wants me to be,” Lloyd said recently, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “For me, being back in Jacksonville, my mom lives out there. You know, obviously, my lady is out there. You know, there are a lot of pros to being out there. And so, for me, it’s just about being in the right spot. Ultimately, that’s the No. 1 most important thing, being in the right spot.”
It would make sense for Lloyd to want to remain in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are an ascending team under rising second-year coach Liam Coen. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is a rising star and helped Lloyd reach his potential in 2025. But it’s worth noting that the Jags did decline Lloyd’s fifth-year option last year. At the time, it made sense. But Lloyd did his part.
If the two sides can’t reach a deal before the legal tampering period opens on March 10, Lloyd will be one of the top players available in free agency. It’s unknown if Washington will spend big on a linebacker, but if it does, Lloyd would be the ideal target for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones to build his defense around.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jags free-agent LB Devin Lloyd addresses future