The Washington Commanders may land $12 million Defensive End, Dorance Armstrong in free agency this upcoming week. The former Dallas Cowboys should find himself in a bigger role next season on his next team, which would make this move a lot of sense. After trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young, adding a pass rusher is a top priority for the Commanders this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he labeled the Commanders as one of the potential destinations to follow Dan Quinn.
While the Cowboys are losing several key players in NFL Free Agency including Stephon Gilmore and Tony Pollard, the Commanders are expected to stock up. According to a source, they have one of the largest available salary caps in the league this offseason. They could spend pretty much on any player they want to bolster their offense and defense. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of contract Armstrong receives this offseason, after being a starter for the Cowboys’ defense for two consecutive seasons.
The veteran has been critical to the Cowboys pass rush rotation, starting 11 games over the last three years. He just finished his $12 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys and they don’t have enough to give him an extension. The Commanders could splurge on Armstrong to help the reunion come to light. Quinn bringing him in could make sense since he’s spent so much time with the veteran in Dallas.
In those three seasons, Armstrong had 34 pressures each year on at most 325 pass-rush snaps. The league’s tampering period begins on Monday, so many fans shouldn’t be surprised if this rumor becomes a reality by then.
Washington Commanders May Land $12 Million Defensive End Dorance Armstrong
A Reunion With Dan Quinn Could Be Possible
The connection between the two could make the transition smoothly throughout the signing process. If Dallas can’t figure out how to pay Armstrong, he could be intrigued to sign with Washington to play under Dan Quinn again. The relationship between the two could restore the Commander’s defense which was one of the worst last season. Armstrong found success playing for Quinn, notching 7.5 sacks last season and consistently above five sacks per year.
It would be a huge addition for Washington after their defense only averaged just 2.3 sacks per game, ranking 26th in the NFL. The entire Commander’s defense was a mess since the departure of Young and Sweat. They could not put pressure on the offense after allowing 126.8 rushing yards and 262.2 passing yards. It would make sense for Quinn to bring in Armstrong to potentially bring that same scheme they had.
The talent will be different next season either way under Quinn’s authority. He could target Gilmore as well for the cornerback position if he wants to reunite with more of his former Cowboy players. Talking heads should expect the Commanders’ defense won’t be as good as the Cowboys had last year. However, they may head in the right direction to pressure quarterbacks.
Expectations for Commanders This NFL Free Agency
If the Commanders make this move happen, then it’ll likely not be the last. The Los Angeles Chargers are open to trading Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack this offseason to help create cap space. Assuming that the Commanders will splurge, they could add Mack as well to help the edge rush. The two are likely to go their separate ways unless the Commanders feel confident to offer a contract to Bosa as well.
This would only happen if Bosa had the same mutual feeling. Either way, the Commanders may want to find edge rushers that fit Quinn’s scheme so they may replicate the same success he had in Dallas.
