The Washington Commanders lost a key member of their pass rush in free agency when Dante Fowler Jr. signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
Fowler led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks in 2024, so his loss is very significant, especially with the Commanders having Super Bowl aspirations following their upstart showing last season.
The Commanders are now looking at an edge rusher trio of Clelin Ferrel, Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise, which simply isn't good enough to compete for bigger things.
In a recent article predicting landing spots for some of the best remaining free agents, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton sees the Commanders bringing in Detroit Lions free-agent edge rusher, Za'Darius Smith.
The Washington Commanders have Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell set to bookend their defensive line. Smith would be their best pass-rusher.
Last season, Armstrong served as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He logged a career-high 24 pressures and five sacks, though the 27-year-old has some upside in a prominent role. In five years, Ferrell hasn't recorded more than 4.5 sacks in a season.
Smith tallied nine sacks for the 2024 term, more than Armstrong and Ferrell combined.
Smith will turn 33 this year, but he is also coming off a season in which he posted nine sacks, a total that would've amounted to the second-most on the team behind Fowler. In all, Smith has 69 sacks over his 10-year career.
Smith would instantly slot in as the Commanders' No. 1 pass rusher upon his arrival in Washington and would offer exactly the kind of upgrade Dan Quinn's defense needs.
Smith is also a high-energy, good vibes kind of guy, which would be great for Washington's locker room.
The Lions cut Smith earlier this offseason because they couldn't afford the $11 million or so he was set to make. A reunion with Detroit remains possible, but Smith's asking price will have to come down.
The Commanders will have no issue meeting that price on a one-year deal with $22.9 million in cap space remaining, and Smith would likely have interest in joining Washington because the team gives him a chance to win.
Smith remains the best free-agent option the Commanders have for an upgrade along the edge and they shouldn't hesitate to add him.