Photo Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
The Washington Commanders entered the 2024 offseason with one major goal: stop the run. After a season where they finished 30th in rushing yards allowed per game and 28th in yards per carry, it was clear something had to change. The struggles were on full display during the NFC Championship Game. On the very first play, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley found a huge hole and sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown. The defensive breakdown started with defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. accidentally tripping linebacker Bobby Wagner. From there, Barkley took advantage of the opening, just as he had all season. In three games against Washington, he ran for 414 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
“[If] you can’t stop the run, you can’t win games,” said defensive end Dorance Armstrong. “That’s why our big focus this year is to be able to stop the run a lot better than we did last year.”
Commanders Get Bigger Up Front
One of the biggest changes was size—literally. Last season, starting defensive tackle Daron Payne was 320 pounds, but the other interior linemen, Jonathan Allen and rookie Jer’Zhan Newton, were both under 300. Allen admitted he played closer to 285 pounds to maintain speed. Because of injuries, Fowler—who weighs just 267 pounds—ended up starting seven games and played more than double his snap count from the year before.
This offseason, Washington signed several large defensive linemen to add strength. Javon Kinlaw (6-foot-5, 319 pounds), Eddie Goldman (6-3, 320), and Deatrich Wise Jr. (6-5, 280) all bring much-needed size and power to the defensive front.
“Man, we got some big ol’ guys.” Payne said. “They’re huge, strong, and ready to get active. It’s going to be fun.”
Head coach Dan Quinn said he plans to use Kinlaw mostly at defensive tackle, but Kinlaw has the flexibility to move to defensive end in certain heavy run-stopping sets. Goldman gives the Commanders a true nose tackle, while Wise is expected to help set the edge—something the team struggled with last season.
Fixing the Edge
Too often, opposing runners were able to bounce outside due to weak edge containment. Wise, a strong run defender, hopes to fix that.
“I’m a very powerful, strong individual,” Wise said. “What makes me a good edge setter is I’m able to use my hands, my strength, how long my arms are to keep guys off me. … The best thing to do is push the ball carrier back to those guys. My main job is to set the edge. If I can push it back to those guys, who are fast and physical and strong, we’ll have a lot of plays being stopped.”
The Commanders also re-signed Clelin Ferrell, another solid run defender at defensive end, though he missed time last season with a knee injury. Combined with Dorance Armstrong and Wise, Washington now has solid depth at the position.
Linebackers Get Help Too
The team expects to have linebacker Jordan Magee fully healthy in 2025. The second-year player showed promise early in training camp but only played eight games due to knee and hamstring injuries. Whitt said Magee was originally planned for packages against heavier offensive sets, especially when opponents used two or three tight ends.
Washington struggled in those situations last season, allowing 5.4 yards per carry. In the final eight games, including playoffs, that number jumped to 7.2. Philadelphia especially took advantage, running 59 times in heavy sets for 6.1 yards per carry and eight touchdowns.
To fix that, Whitt said the Commanders will go bigger with personnel and move away from using safeties—like Jeremy Chinn—as linebackers.
“We can get a little bit bigger versus 12 [personnel] and not play as much nickel to shore up on some of the run,” Whitt said.
Working Together as a Unit
This offseason, the Commanders have emphasized more time together for the front seven. That includes joint meetings, more on-field reps, and extra communication.
“I’m not going to say we didn’t trust each other [last year], but we’ve got a little more time to get on the same page than we did last year,” Armstrong said. “That was the main thing, the more time to learn the system we’re playing, the better we can be.”
Stopping the run is the priority. And with more size, better depth, and a clearer plan, Washington is counting on major improvement in 2025.
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This report used information from ESPN.
