The Washington Commanders did things on the cheap in 2024 and got big results, making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game with a group of mostly ragtag players surrounding NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
Even at the most important position on offense outside of Daniels — left offensive tackle — the Commanders spent just $4.8 million on the 2 players who started there all season in Cornelius Lucas and rookie Brandon Coleman.
While Lucas and Coleman protected Daniels’ blindside was made easier by his ability to run the ball at an elite level, the Commanders need to spend big on the position this offseason and leave little doubt as to what their main priority is moving forward.
That priority? Protecting Daniels from injury, which means bringing in an elite offensive tackle via free agency — a player like 26-year-old Alaric Jackson, who is on the free agent market after spending the first 4 seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams.
“… Over the last two seasons, Alaric Jackson worked his way up from an undrafted backup utility offensive lineman to a starting-caliber player on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blind side,” Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton wrote on February 24. ” … According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson allowed only three sacks in 893 snaps. He earned top-23 grades for his pass- and run-blocking performances among 141 tackles. The Rams should sign Jackson to a lucrative extension, but he can earn starter money on the open market if they don’t.”
Mysterious Suspension Drove Down Price for Jackson
For a 26-year-old in the prime of his career and who has been one of the NFL’s better players at his position the last 2 seasons, the price for Jackson seems low. Spotrac projects his current market value at a 3-year, $47.8 million contract that any team could reasonably round up to $50 million in order to make sure Jackson signs.
With an average annual salary of approximately $16 million, that wouldn’t even put Jackson among the Top 10 highest paid left offensive tackles in the NFL — San Francisco 49ers superstar Trent Williams leads the way at a whopping $27.5 million per season.
One reason for Jackson’s price not being higher could be the mystery surrounding his 2-game suspension to open the 2024 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
“No other details on the suspension were given at the time, but the NFL’s personal conduct policy applies to a player’s public image and personal life, and prohibits conduct that could endanger players, damage the league’s reputation, or bring discredit to the sport,” Rams Wire’s Matt Borelli wrote on September 20.
When pressed, Jackson declined to give specifics on why he was suspended.
“That’s behind us now, I’m keeping it in-house right now,” Jackson told Adam Grosbard of the Southern California News Group. “I was definitely selfish, but it’s behind me now and we’re going to move forward with it.”
Jackson, 6-foot-7 and 345 pounds, was a 3-time All-Big Ten pick at the University of Iowa and an All-American in 2020 but went undrafted in 2021. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams as a rookie while backing up future Pro Football Hall of Famer Andrew Whitworth.
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