Not only is it the most cost effective way to build a team, but it is also, undoubtedly, the most fun. If you are making a winning football team, a good way to save money is to have an excellent rookie-contract quarterback. It's also a lot of fun to use the extra resources to build around him.
Is there anyone having more fun than the Washington Commanders? Jayden Daniels followed CJ Stroud's lead and as the second QB drafted, emerged as better than the top pick in their rookie season. Houston had an excellent defense that needed preservation, but the Commanders are just adding, even from the Texans.
Daniels led the resurgent Commanders to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie, which is a promising floor, and the offseason has been all gas and no brakes. How great would it be to the team that is aggressively seeking talent, and knowing they are adding to a good roster, and not just patching holes? They could burn draft capital on Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, while signing Javon Kinlaw and having the resources to retain the free agents they wanted to.
Eventually, Daniels is going to be very expensive, and more or less, Washington is going to know what they have as a core. They will be good for as long as Daniels is effective, but the era of unbound potential, an unabashedly fun time will be behind them. In the meantime, fans are going to be a little more forgiving. If things go sideways in 2025, they know that the future remains bright. If they go well, all the better.
The Commanders have shown with their moves thus far that they won't let the moment pass them by. It's one thing to catch lightning in a bottle, and another to allow that lightning to properly electrify the team. After so long in the NFL wilderness, how fun is it for Washington fans to be on the brink of greatness?
