The Washington Commanders signed Zach Ertz during the offseason, in order to get a veteran player for the tight end position. However, Ertz didn't perform well in 2023, playing in the second-fewest games and recording the fewest yards in his career.
According to Marcus Mosher of PFF, the Commanders are seen as a potential landing spot for Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, providing a younger option for that position.
“There's no sign that the Steelers are dissatisfied with Pat Freiermuth, but as he enters the final year of his contract, there hasn't been any progress towards a new deal. Although he's talented, Freiermuth struggled to stay on the field in 2023 and has only scored four touchdowns in the last two seasons.
“There's also a question about how well he fits into Arthur Smith’s offense, as he needs his tight ends to block in line, Mosher wrote in his realistic trade forecasts for veterans who might be moved during the draft column. “Freiermuth has yet to achieve a season with a run-blocking grade over 60, which is clearly the weakest aspect of his game. He can be an effective receiver, but his lack of strength in the run game could make him an awkward fit in Pittsburgh’s new offense.”
Commanders Released Former TE1 During Offseason
To free up cap space, the Washington Commanders released their former tight end Logan Thomas on March 1. According to John Keim of ESPN.
, Thomas’ release created $6.54 million in cap space. Despite performing well, Thomas was deemed expendable due to his age and the new coaching staff, Keim wrote on March 1.
“Washington signed Thomas in the 2020 offseason and he established himself as a versatile tight end. During his first season with Washington, he caught a career-high 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns,” Keim wrote. “Thomas initially played as a quarterback for two seasons – he was drafted by Arizona in the fourth round in 2014 – but switched to tight end in 2016 while with Detroit. Thomas caught 184 passes with Washington, including 55 in the most recent season.
“However, he turns 33 in July, and with a new coaching staff, along with the savings on cap space, he became expendable.”
In 2023, Thomas played in 16 games for the Commanders, recording 496 yards on 55 receptions with four touchdowns.
How Pat Freiermuth Could Benefit the Commanders
During the 2023 season, Freiermuth, a former second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, dealt with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss five games. In the 12 games he played, the 25-year-old made 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns.
When he was healthy in the 2022 season, Freiermuth recorded 732 yards on 63 receptions. As it stands, Terry McLaurin was the only Washington Commanders player with more than 732 yards last season.
His blocking has also shown improvement, achieving a 77.5 pass block grade last season, according to PFF. Josh Carney of Steelers Depot noted that blocking wasn't always Freiermuth's strong suit. However, Carney observed a difference in his blocking last season.
“During the 2022 season, Freiermuth's blocking was a significant weakness, Carney wrote on January 3. “This continued into the current season, as Freiermuth struggled as a blocker for the team before getting injured and missing several games.
“Currently, at the end of the season, Freiermuth has improved his skills as a blocker and is performing well in that area. This was evident in the 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks as Freiermuth and the other Steelers’ tight ends did a good job as blockers while the Steelers used a lot of 13 personnel.”
Freiermuth also believed he was doing well in the blocking aspect recently.
“Yes, I think I'm doing well. It's always going to be an area of my game that I need to work on and get better at,” Freiermuth said reporters. “But I feel like I'm doing a great job lately, and I will continue to improve on that, which is something I will always have to work on.”
