Commanders Free Agent Fits: Defensive End

Taking a look at some defensive ends that the Washington Commanders could potentially target in free agency

Many fans and media feel that one of the Commanders biggest needs this offseason is improving the pass rush, specifically from the defensive end position. Earlier this offseason, I profiled what the Commanders look for in a defensive end, but now with free agency around the corner, it’s time to see if any of the free agents in this class can fit that profile. Here’s a look at a few options the Commanders could pursue in free agency.

High Profile: Josh Sweat, 27

The top pass rusher on the market is Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat. Sweat has quietly developed into a very effective pass rusher in Philadelphia after being drafted there in the fourth round back in 2018. He has been overshadowed there by the sheer depth of that defensive line and the stars like Jalen Carter, but Sweat is a strong rusher in his own right. He offers great speed, explosiveness and bend around the edge and combines that with good hands to make him a threat to any tackle he faces.

This rep from Sweat against Commanders rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman stands out as a great example of both Sweat’s athletic ability and his technical ability too. Sweat shows a good burst off the snap to get up the field in a hurry, but Coleman is a good athlete too and does his best to try and cut him off. However, Coleman looks to punch with both hands at the same time and Sweat uses a cross chop move to counter it. You can see how Sweat uses his inside arm to chop down across Coleman, hitting both of Coleman’s hands down and keeping himself clean as he works to the edge.

From that point, Sweat has a huge advantage. He uses his momentum to get past Coleman and turn the corner sharply. Coleman can’t get his hands back and reset to cut him off, so Sweat gets by him and closes quickly on the quarterback. Jayden Daniels does well to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack but he still takes a big hit a fraction of a second after he releases the ball.

Despite being a good athlete, Sweat isn’t a one-dimensional rusher. Lots of rushers with his explosiveness rely on that to win on the edge and don’t add enough variety to their game. The use of the cross chop move from that play suggests he does have more to his game, but study him for any length of time and you’ll see a rusher with multiple ways to win.

Here, Sweat works against Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Initially, he looks to use a similar rush we just saw him use against Coleman, rushing with speed to the edge and attempting to clear Stanley’s hands by chopping the outside hand down with his own outside hand. However, Stanley takes the chop and keeps his outside hand on Sweat to cut off his path to the edge, so Sweat has to transition to plan B.

Sweat manages to get his inside hand placed on Stanley’s chest, so once his path to the edge us cut off, Sweat transitions from an outside rush into a long-arm rush. He extends his inside arm and begins to shift his weight inside to drive Stanley back. Once Stanley opens up to try and adjust, Sweat attacks the open space and gets inside to pressure the quarterback.

For the Commanders, Sweat would add a dynamic and explosive threat off the edge that they currently lack. He’s the type of athlete that head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. could move around and generate matchups for as well as just leaving him on the edge and trusting him to generate pressure that way too. He would, however, come at quite a significant cost. Sweat is one of the top players in this free agent class and is likely to demand a large contract. The Commanders do have the cap space for him and taking a good player from the Eagles wouldn’t be a bad thing, but based on what Adam Peters has done so far, I’m not sure he’ll want to go all out for Sweat.

Good Value: Dayo Odeyingbo, 25

Odeyingbo is a name that not many people are talking about. He’s not a flashy edge rusher with great burst like Sweat, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an effective rusher. Odeyingbo is a different body type. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 286 pounds, which is very big compared to a typical edge rusher. Sweat, for example, is more of a prototypical edge rusher and he’s 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. That 20 pound difference is significant and almost pushes Odeyingbo into undersized defensive tackle territory rather than defensive end. As a result, Odeyingbo doesn’t offer the same explosiveness off the edge, but he offers more flexibility.

When I profiled what the Commanders were looking for in a defensive end, I spoke a lot about their desire for flexibility. Quinn and Whitt love to move guys around to generate matchups that expose offensive lineman in pass protection. Odeyingbo is very flexible as a piece that can line up all over and be effective.