Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters is no doubt building something special, but that process hasn’t been without some flaws.
One of those flaws came in the 2025 NFL draft, when the team desperately needed to take an edge rusher in the wake of Dante Fowler taking his 10.5 sacks to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
Instead, Peters did not take a single edge rusher over the three-day event, although it’s fair to point out Washington didn’t have a ton of picks. Still, that doesn’t erase what is a troubling situation for a Commanders team looking to compete for a Super Bowl.
In order to improve the Commanders’ situation along the edge, Jonathan Eig of Riggo’s Rag thinks the team should sign former Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, Preston Smith.
He came into his own after signing with the Green Bay Packers in 2019. Smith racked up 44 sacks and 96 quarterback hits over six seasons, but he was reportedly unhappy when they changed philosophies and shifted him back to defensive end. He was traded late in 2024 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released him at the end of the season.
Smith has proven himself to be an impact edge rusher during his career, with the vet posting eight or more sacks six times, including a career-high 12 in 2019.
However, in 2024, Smith had his worst season in terms of sack production since 2020 after posting just 4.5 sacks in 17 games.
Smith, who was previously playing on a $52 million contract, was happy to get traded to the Steelers at the deadline because he was unhappy with the Green Bay Packers’ system. But he didn’t fare any better in Pittsburgh and ultimately became an afterthought on defense before getting cut this offseason.
Smith prefers to work in a 3-4 at outside linebacker, so that’s an immediate problem for Washington, as head coach Dan Quinn prefers a 4-3.
“I requested a trade a few weeks ago,” Smith said after the trade to Pittsburgh. “I didn’t feel like I was being useful in the [Packers’] system, and it wasn’t catering to my play style and moving forward.”
On top of that, there’s the concern about a potential decline. Smith will turn 33 in November and his best days in the NFL might be behind him. That and the Commanders’ system makes Smith a shaky option if signed.
Offsetting that, Smith should come very cheap thanks to his age and his showing in 2024. But it takes two to tango and if Smith doesn’t want to return to a 4-3, the Commanders won’t be on his list of preferred destinations.
