Commanders urged to enter free agency race for six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver

The Washington Commanders signed a lot of veteran players to one-year deals in free agency. Whether it was new arrivals or a plethora of re-signings, general manager Adam Peters stuck to the method that proved so successful during his first offseason at the helm.

One respected analyst believes he has the perfect candidate to provide short-term assistance as the Commanders go in pursuit of another deep playoff run in 2025.

There's been a concerted effort throughout Washington's 2025 recruitment to surround quarterback Jayden Daniels with everything needed to excel. The Commanders are all-in on the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and are doing everything possible to ensure he avoids a second-year slump. Trades to acquire wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and prolific left tackle Laremy Tunsil cemented this strategy emphatically.

The Commanders fortified their wideout room with extensions for Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn. Hopes remain high that Luke McCaffrey can evolve into a dependable contributor. Adding another via the draft should be considered, but Peters only has five selections at his disposal as things stand.

Commanders could benefit from Keenan Allen's experience alongside Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel

That could lead Washington into the veteran pool once again. Options have dwindled after a frantic start to free agency. However, there could also be some value available given players will see the Commanders as an attractive, contending team with a superstar presence under center.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN thought Keenan Allen would be the perfect fit. While he's past the peak of his powers and carries some injury baggage, he'd be a nice complementary piece. The analyst also thought he could benefit greatly from having the likes of Samuel and Terry McLaurin taking up the primary attention of opposing coverage schemes.

"[Keenan] Allen's 57 open score ranked 64th in the league, which isn't great given that he ranked first in the same metric in 2023, but 64th is still good enough to qualify for meaningful snaps in any offense that needs somebody to beat man coverage. He probably profiles as a third wideout in a good offense or a second wideout in a subpar one at this point of his career, but I wonder whether this past season with the Bears might have depressed his market more than it should have. I'd expect him to land with a team that needs a wideout to win against man coverage, especially if it has a target hog who can draw attention elsewhere and ensure one-on-ones for Allen."

Bill Barnwell

This would have been a no-brainer a couple of years ago. Allen remains one of the league's sharpest route-runners capable of creating separation early and often. He's lost some explosiveness, but his savviness and ability to provide nice throwing windows could be of use to the Commanders.

Allen will be 33 years old soon. The six-time Pro Bowler is firmly in his career twilight and would likely relish the prospect of forming a productive trio with McLaurin and Samuel. Brown can stretch the field and McCaffrey can be used anywhere. That's only going to help Daniels spearhead another Washington postseason push in 2025.

He also knows running backs coach Anthony Lynn well from their successful time together with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Perhaps the Commanders will wait until after the draft. This is also dependent on the money involved, but Allen (or anyone else) would probably consider a team-friendly deal to land on an ascending franchise that reached the NFC Championship game last time around.

The Commanders might be content with what they have. If not, they could do far worse than look in Allen's direction.