Washington Commanders fans can be forgiven if they think Adam Peters is playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game with them. It seems the more the media laments the fact that he has not addressed the deficiencies in the team’s pass rush, the more he ignores the problem.
It began in free agency. Washington allowed 2024 sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. to return to the Dallas Cowboys and didn’t sign an obvious replacement. Perhaps Jacob Martin will take a major step forward, but that is an iffy bet at best.
Peters passed on several promising pass rushers during the 2025 NFL Draft. In its immediate aftermath, a few quality edges remained on the market. The Commanders had met with several during their comprehensive assessments. But those players — Jared Ivey and Jah Joyner — ended up signing as undrafted free agents (UDFAs) with the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.
We are in a black hole for roster moves. Peters may be biding his time until other clubs begin shedding veterans over the summer. However, even at this point, options remain.
The recent signing of kicker Matt Gay is evidence of the fact that you can still find value during the current down cycle. As for pass-rushing help, the Commanders could turn to two older veterans and two rookies for a shot in the arm.
Forgotten edge rushers the Commanders must target after NFL Draft mistake
Commanders could sign Preston Smith
We have already covered the most obvious source of immediate pass-rush help — Za’Darius Smith. But there is another Smith out there who might have something left in the tank.
This would be a homecoming for Preston Smith, who began his career in Washington when he was a second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State in 2015. He started as a defensive end but found a home as an outside linebacker once the team shifted to a 3-4 defensive front.
He came into his own after signing with the Green Bay Packers in 2019. Smith racked up 44 sacks and 96 quarterback hits over six seasons, but he was reportedly unhappy when they changed philosophies and shifted him back to defensive end. He was traded late in 2024 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released him at the end of the season.
Smith is getting on in years and saw his production take a major step back last season. Is he done, or did his obvious discomfort with the way he was being used contribute to a down year?
That is the question for Peters and the defensive coaches. It’s interesting to note that even with his tumultuous 2024 season, his five sacks would have tied him for third on the Commanders.
Commanders could sign Steve Linton
Steve Linton played four years at Syracuse, then moved to Texas Tech for a season, before ending his college career at Baylor. He has 46 games under his belt, but never recorded more than four sacks or 22 tackles across six campaigns. Doesn’t exactly profile as a productive NFL pass rusher, does it?
When you watch Linton on tape, you see a tall, rangy defender who can move. After six years in college, one might assume he was a polished player, but that is not the case. The combination of the pandemic and several nagging injuries (none of them chronic or major) kept him from building the momentum you’d expect to see.
Linton is a bit of a tweener. He would be better as a defensive end than an outside linebacker, but he is too light to play that role in the NFL. Teams also have to decide whether those injuries were flukes or the sign of a player who cannot stay on the field.
There are certainly red flags. There is also an athletic frame that could turn out to be a quality sub-package pass rusher once he is given the chance to develop under NFL coaching.
Commanders could sign Kaimon Rucker
Linton is a dart throw. It’s not hard to see why teams may wait on signing him for a little while. Kaimon Rucker is a different story.
I have no idea why he hasn’t been signed. Sure, he is too short. A little too light for the end and not quite nimble enough to play linebacker. But Rucker produces.
Rucker was sensational in 2023 for North Carolina en route to 61 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. He was in and out of the lineup last season with injuries, but played through a lot of them, registering six sacks in just eight games. He has a superb first step and shows a good deal of power coming from his compact frame.
According to coaches, he has always been a strong locker-room presence and a great practice player. He has a good floor in the pros. Though Rucker may never be a star, he can get after the passer on third downs, something the Commanders need.
Commanders could sign Matthew Judon
Aside from Za’Darius Smith, the most proven commodity currently available is Matthew Judon. There is only one fundamental question that Peters needs to answer about the man who went from Grand Valley State to the upper echelons of the NFL in the past decade.
Judon was a dominant force as recently as 2022. He recorded 15.5 sacks and 28 quarterback hits. That means he was putting the quarterback on the ground three times per game.
He was maintaining that same pace early in 2023 when a torn bicep ended his season. That marked the end of his time with the New England Patriots. Judon was traded to the Atlanta Falcons just before the 2024 campaign.
He never seemed to be in sync with the Falcons. Judon managed 5.5 sacks and 41 tackles, which are respectable for an average player, but a big step backward for a perennial Pro Bowler.
So the question is this: is Judon finished being an above-average edge, or did the recovery from his injury and his abrupt change of scenery combine to make last year underwhelming?
If Judon can even get back to 75 percent of what he was just a few seasons ago, he would look awfully good in a Commanders' uniform.
