The Washington Commanders entered Friday having one of the lowest current payrolls in the NFL. But due to a couple of moves that will clear even more off of their bottom line, they now have the most money to spend as we near closer to the start of free agency later this month.
Commanders Save Over $15 Million by Cutting Thomas, Leno
The #Commanders are releasing veteran TE Logan Thomas, clearing over $6.5M in cap space, per @MikeGarafolo. The QB-turned-TE spent four years in Washington and had 184 receptions for 1,685 yards and 14 TDs. pic.twitter.com/J9iZPAuG2P
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 1, 2024
The two players that wound up being cap casualties on Friday were tight end Logan Thomas and offensive tackle Charles Leno.
Thomas has spent the last four seasons with the Commanders. The now-33 year old was supposed to be entering the final year of his contract in 2024, but had a dead cap number that was low enough to justify getting rid of the team’s leading tight end 4th leading receiver overall. Washington will be on the hook for $1.75 million of the $8.2 million that he was owed for the coming year, but will see a savings of $6.5 million by cutting him.
During the 2023 season, Thomas caught 55 passes for 496 yards and scored four touchdowns.
More money was saved when they parted ways with offensive tackle Charles Leno. The 10-year NFL veteran had spent the last three seasons in Washington, and was a full-time starter during his tenure. He was set to be one of the highest-paid players on the team, with a salary of over $15 million for 2024, but they will be getting $7.2 million of that back now that he is being released.
Money And Picks Galore For Washington
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: #Commanders will release center Nick Gates at the start of the new league year in mid-March, per @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/NbAjnebaAT
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 1, 2024
The Commanders have plenty of holes to fill across their roster, but there may be no team in the league that is better equipped to have a big off-season. Not only do they have the most money to spend in free agency, but they have some of the most valuable draft picks of any team in the NFL as well. They’ll be making the 2nd overall selection, and have four total picks within the first 70.
The team is under a new regime with Raheem Morris now at the helm as head coach, and it is widely assumed that Washington will target one of the top-flight quarterback prospects with their first round pick.
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