ASHBURN — The Washington Commanders’ defensive ends have a lot riding on the season ahead. Chase Young, almost two years after a serious knee injury, is looking to prove he’s still a top pass-rusher in the NFL. Montez Sweat has yet to have a double-digit sack season, and coaches have urged him to finish better at the point of attack. Even reserves like James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill are seeking to maintain their spots in the team’s pass-rush rotation.
Oh, and most of them are entering the final years of their contracts.
Only three of Washington’s edge rushers — rookies K.J. Henry, Andre Jones and Joshua Pryor — are under contract beyond 2023.
The rest, a group of six (not counting Shaka Toney, suspended indefinitely for gambling), includes starters Young and Sweat, and all six enter this coming fall fighting to secure their next deal.
The good news is that the Comamnders have a projected $80 million in cap space next offseason, meaning those who produce could be in line to receive big money and (or) long-term security from the franchise. But so far, the franchise has taken a wait-and-see approach for the position.
The strategy has differed from how coach Ron Rivera and Co. have handled other spots, whether it be wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s three-year, $71 million deal last offseason or defensive tackle Jonathan Allen’s four-year, $72 million extension in 2021. Part of the shift has stemmed from Washington’s ownership change — but that doesn’t explain all of it.
Before the team was sold, the Commanders gave defensive tackle Daron Payne a four-year, $90 million deal. Young? Washington turned down the pass rusher’s fifth-year option to guarantee him nearly $17.5 million for 2024. That was a conscious choice, one that had to do more with Young’s last two seasons rather than not having the money available.
“Every year is important: If you focus on one year more than the others, you’re doing your team a disservice,” said Toohill, who has been with Washington since 2020. “Obviously, it’s important and it’s something that matters. It’s not like you can pretend it doesn’t matter. But you’ve got to just shift your focus from that to improving and then winning. … That says more than anything.”
Who the Commanders opt to pay will likely come down to how the season plays out. Complicating matters is that the Commanders have already tied up large chunks of salary to Allen and Payne. Washington’s front office may technically have the resources to pay Young and Sweat over the long haul, but teams generally don’t invest in big-money deals for all four starting defensive linemen.
Sweat, compared to Young, has been the more consistent of the two. For one, he’s managed to stay mostly healthy: He’s missed just six games through four seasons. But Sweat has also been more steady as a pass rusher, finishing with eight sacks last season to Young’s zero.
Young, of course, played in just three games last season as Washington was careful to play the pass rusher while he attempted to recover from the injury. This offseason, though, Young has looked better. The former No. 2 overall pick ditched his knee brace this summer and said he feels “explosive again.” Young, who has only 1½ sacks in the last two years, has been able to use his speed to drive left tackle Charles Leno back and collapse the pocket regularly.
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, meanwhile, has called for Sweat to up his production. This offseason, Del Rio said he wants Sweat to finish better in 2023 — similarly to how Payne upped his sack total en route to receiving his massive contract in March. Last season, the defensive tackle finished with a career-high 11½ sacks — a seven-sack increase from the year prior.
“It’ll add zeroes to your check,” Del Rio said.
But Rivera has appeared pleased with how both have gone about this year’s training camp. Though each missed portions of Washington’s offseason program, Sweat and Young trained together — even going to Ohio State to workout with Young’s former college defensive line coach, Larry Johnson.
“I will tell you, they’ve done a great job, both of them,” Rivera said. “When you look at both guys coming back (to training camp) and their situational circumstances, so far it’s what we’ve been hoping for.”
Elsewhere, the Commanders have several reserve linemen who are in the final year of their contracts. Smith-Williams and Toohill have been spot starters for Washington, but both are poised for rotational roles in 2023 — granted they make the roster, which isn’t a guarantee. Efe Obada and William Bradley-King are also on one-year deals, but first have to secure their spot.
Together, in terms of average annual value, the defensive ends account for a little more than $16 million coming off Washington’s books after next season. That’s more than any other position on the roster.
If the Commanders want to create some security, the team’s brass could always look to negotiate extensions to get players locked up beyond this year. But Rivera has said he still needs to broach the topic with new owner Josh Harris to see if that’s even a realistic possibility.
Sweat, meanwhile, said he isn’t worried about his contract. He’ll get paid at some point, he said.
“You just keep your head down and work,” Sweat said
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