It makes good sense for the Washington Commanders to look long and hard at their division rivals when evaluating potential free-agent signings this offseason.
The Commanders should have a better understanding of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants free agents than players from other teams. If they can poach one or two serious contributors, the benefit is twofold. Washington improves while simultaneously weakening a team they play twice a year.
Philadelphia has several players who would look great in Commanders’ colors next year. Given Dan Quinn’s knowledge of the Cowboys’ roster, it is likely he has his eye on one or two Dallas free agents as well.
The Giants are a different story. They are the worst team in the NFC East. They have the weakest roster in the division. It is less likely they would have free agents who might draw as much interest as could be found in Washington’s two other rivals.
There is one fascinating bit of trivia that might suggest otherwise.
Each of the last five Super Bowl winners has had a former member of the Giants on the roster. In four of the five cases, that player was a significant factor in their success.
This is most likely a mere statistical coincidence. A quirk with little correlation to actual success on the field. However, there’s another way to look at this trend.
The Giants have been a train wreck of late. Numbers do not lie. Since securing the Super Bowl after the 2011 campaign, they have had just three winning seasons. It has gotten worse and worse.
In their last eight years, the Giants have had a winning record just once. During every other season, they have had double-digit losses. They have lost close to 70 percent of their games in that span.
That may signal a team bereft of talent. But it may also indicate a team that simply has no clue how to use talent.
The decision to re-sign Daniel Jones and allow Saquon Barkley to depart last year was the most egregious example of this professional malfeasance. They also gave Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Odell Beckham Jr. eventually made his way to the Los Angeles Rams. Both were instrumental in helping their new teams to the championship.
Even the woefully unreliable Kadarius Toney scored a touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs in one of their Super Bowl wins. It is entirely possible that talented players are being wasted by a team that doesn’t know what to do with them.
Commanders should consider taking a flyer on Isaiah Simmons in free agency
If nothing lse, Commanders fans should remember the athletically gifted Simmons from a 2023 game. He picked off Sam Howell’s desperate pass with under 30 seconds left and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown, thus sealing a Giants’ win.
Simmons does not have a lot of other highlight-reel plays at the professional level. When he does make them, they tend to be spectacular.
The former Clemson standout did that last season when he leaped over the center and blocked a field goal attempt that would have allowed the Seattle Seahawks to tie in the final minute. But that was the exception in 2024.
The Giants traded for the 2020 first-round pick and then re-signed him before last season. But they barely played him. Simmons was in on fewer than 20% of the defensive snaps in 2024.
This would not be the first time Washington has considered Simmons. Before the 2020 draft, the versatile defender was flying up draft boards. His freakish athletic gifts were jaw-dropping. Weighing just under 240 pounds, he ran under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
At Clemson, he lined up at virtually every position on defense. But his best position was almost certainly going to be at the linebacker spot.
Washington needed a linebacker. I was one of many who suggested trading back out of the No. 2 pick and taking Simmons might be a smart move.
Washington kept its pick and took Chase Young. The Arizona Cardinals chose Simmons at No. 8 overall. His time in the pros, both with the Cardinals and Giants, has been underwhelming. The question for the Commanders is whether that is because the player was overrated, or because his unique athletic gifts have simply never been properly employed.
His progress has almost certainly been stunted by coaches who have moved him around from position to position. Simmons needs a new start with defensive coaches who can put him in a position to succeed. Who better than Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.?
They did it for Dante Fowler Jr. and Jeremy Chinn in 2024. Simmons is in the same position.
If the Commanders lose Bobby Wagner to free agency, they need a replacement immediately. Even if they hold onto the perennial All-Pro, his time is limited.
Would a supremely gifted player who is still just 26 years old and has shown the ability to make big plays at the NFL level be an attractive option? Probably, if the money works.
The apparent good-luck charm quality that has attached itself to old Giants players of late would just be a bonus.
