While the Washington Commanders may have missed out on deep-threat wide receiver Alec Pierce in the early hours of NFL free agency, they certainly didn't let that one hiccup affect them in the slightest, as, much to the dismay of Dallas Cowboys fans everywhere, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn absolutely crushed it the rest of the week, adding a plethora of players who will undoubtedly be big contributors during the 2026 season.
The Commanders were particularly aggressive on the defensive side of the football, more specifically on the edge, making one of the most high-priced signings of the initial wave, inking Odafe Oweh to a four-year, $100 million contract. Washington also brought in K'Lavon Chaisson on a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, and added even more depth in Charles Omenihu, signing the seven-year veteran to a one-year, $4 million deal.
Naturally, one has to wonder what this means for former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong Jr., who followed Quinn to Washington two years ago and was having arguably the best year of his career before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee, oddly enough during a lopsided loss to Dallas in Week 7.
Armstrong obviously took notice to what Washington was doing, and he made sure to let the world know that he's not to be forgotten about.
Dorance Armstrong Jr. faces an interesting contract year with the Commanders
The knee injury really was unfortunate for Armstrong, as the former fourth-round pick had racked up 5.5 sacks in his seven appearances, putting him well on pace to surpass the career-high 8.5 he tallied during his penultimate season with the Cowboys in 2022.
It'll certainly be interesting to see where Armstrong fits alongside all these new additions upon his return, and, as mentioned, he clearly doesn't want anybody forgetting about him, as he took to social media amid the Commanders' spending spree this past week to offer an update on his ongoing rehab, reporting that the process is going quite well.
That's good news, of course, but again, it'll be interesting to see how Quinn uses him once he returns, especially seeing how he's in the final season of the three-year, $33 million contract he signed back in 2024.
Oweh, who recorded 7.5 sacks in a dozen regular-season games with the Los Angeles Chargers after coming over in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens and added another three in the Bolts' wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, is obviously a lock to start. And Chaisson, who had a career year for the Pats with a new personal-best 7.5 sacks, will certainly have to be considered after getting starter-type money.
One wouldn't think a guy set to count more than $12 million against the cap would be relegated to a backup role, but that's the position Armstrong could potentially find himself in.
There is undoubtedly another possibility in play here, as Armstrong could conceivably be traded. As mentioned, he's in the final year of his contract, which always makes things easier when discussing a deal with another club.
We'll obviously just have to wait and see how things play out, but this is certainly something to keep an eye on, as one naturally has to wonder if the Cowboys would entertain the thought of bringing Armstrong back.