The Commanders are apparently building a pipeline from Dallas to Washington. After making former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn their new head coach, the Commanders have made an early splash in free agency by signing a pair of former Cowboys in edge rusher Dorance Armstrong and center Tyler Biadasz.
Washington entered the offseason with more cap space than any team in the league, and is certainly splashing the pot early on. According to ESPN, Armstrong’s deal will be for three years and potentially worth up to $45 million, though it’s worth noting that the base value is likely lower. Meanwhile, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports that Biadasz will get a three-year, $30 million contract.
Armstrong has been a rotational defensive lineman in Dallas for several years, and played the best football of his career under Quinn. After recording 8 sacks combined in his first four seasons, he notched 8.5 and 7.5 over the past two years despite playing only 47% and 42% of the team’s defensive snaps during those seasons. He has also been a strong defender against the run. Washington desperately needed help along the edge after trading away both Chase Young and Montez Sweat at last year’s deadline.
Biadasz was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and a four-year starter at center for Dallas. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 but seemingly regressed last season. Still, the Commanders have a major need for upgrades along the offensive line, and with the expectation that they will select a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft, bringing in a veteran center is wise. New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury did the same thing with the Cardinals, when the team signed Rodney Hudson to pair with No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.
In the wake of both players heading to Washington, the Cowboys will now need to find a new starting center as well as some additional help on the edge. They have only $2.2 million in cap room at the moment, according to Over the Cap, so they will need to make several cap-clearing moves in order to participate in free agency.
