Did Commanders have the best offseason in the NFC East?

The NFC East was an arms race this offseason. All four teams entered free agency in March in different places, but all understood the need to improve. The Washington Commanders were coming off a 5-12 season, one year after shocking everyone and reaching the NFC Championship Game.

Washington’s opponent in the NFC Championship? The Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles would defeat the Commanders and go on to win Super Bowl LIX. Last season, the Eagles won the NFC East again, but looked like a different team.

The Dallas Cowboys could score points last season, but couldn’t stop anyone. Meanwhile, the New York Giants finished last again, resulting in a new head coach. That new coach, John Harbaugh, is a former Super Bowl champion.

So, who won the NFL offseason? Well, that depends on who you talk to. You could make the case that each of the four NFC East teams had a banner offseason. The Commanders shook up their roster, particularly on defense. The Cowboys had a similar defensive makeover, and both teams have new defensive coordinators, each getting their first chance to call plays in the NFL.

Matt Okada of NFL.com recently gave all 32 teams an offseason grade. He liked what each NFC East team did, but gave the Giants an A+ and the Cowboys an A-. Philadelphia and Washington both came away with a B+. Here’s what Okada said about the Commanders’ offseason.

Like Dallas, the Commanders absolutely had to focus their efforts on the defense. Washington spent big money to bring in Oweh, Chaisson and LB Leo Chenal before snagging Styles with the seventh overall pick.

And don’t overlook some of their less-heralded offensive additions: TE Chig Okonkwo and RB Rachaad White provide weapons outside of Terry McLaurin for Jayden Daniels. There are still a few spots that could use more attention, particularly cornerback, WR2 and the interior offensive line. But the Commanders did enough — spending more than $250 million (third-most, per Over the Cap) — to earn a solid grade.

Like Dallas, the Commanders absolutely had to focus their efforts on the defense. Washington spent big money to bring in Oweh, Chaisson and LB Leo Chenal before snagging Styles with the seventh overall pick.

And don’t overlook some of their less-heralded offensive additions: TE Chig Okonkwo and RB Rachaad White provide weapons outside of Terry McLaurin for Jayden Daniels. There are still a few spots that could use more attention, particularly cornerback, WR2 and the interior offensive line. But the Commanders did enough — spending more than $250 million (third-most, per Over the Cap) — to earn a solid grade.

Washington should be much better on defense in 2026. So, when people ask if GM Adam Peters did enough to help Daniels this offseason, the answer is yes. The Commanders were atrocious defensively last season, and an improved unit is the best way to help your franchise quarterback.

And let’s not forget about the offensive additions. Not only does Washington also have a new offensive coordinator (David Blough) it’s excited about, but players like Okonkwo, White and rookie receiver Antonio Williams all figure to be in prominent roles.

The NFC East did see two impact players depart this offseason, when the Eagles traded away disgruntled wide receiver A.J. Brown and the Giants traded All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence. So, how will those losses impact the Eagles and Giants?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Did Commanders have the best offseason in the NFC East?