Commanders add help in the secondary ahead of training camp, filling roster need

As the Commanders try to revamp their defense this offseason, the front office is adding cornerback help.

The team signed veteran Rasul Douglas to a one-year, $3.8 million deal, ESPN reported Monday. Douglas, a former third-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, played in Miami last year, recording two interceptions and 62 tackles for the Dolphins.

Douglas fills a position of need for Washington. The Commanders defense allowed 242.5 passing yards per game, ranking 28th in the NFL.

After the team started 3-7, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. ceded play-calling duties to head coach Dan Quinn. The organization moved on from Whitt in the offseason and brought in Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.

Douglas started 13 games in 2025 and was one of the better players at his position, ranking 21st out of 114 eligible corners on Pro Football Focus with a grade of 72.7.

His nine pass breakups ranked 12th in the NFL, and he played 851 defensive snaps.

He bounced around to several organizations after being drafted by the Eagles. He played for Carolina, Green Bay and Buffalo over the last nine seasons. He won a Super Bowl as a rookie with the Eagles in 2018.

Prior to the signing, Washington was fairly young at cornerback with Mike Sainristil, a second-rounder in 2024, and Trey Amos, a second-rounder last year, out on the perimeter. The team signed Amik Robertson, who can play inside and outside, this offseason after he spent the last two years with the Lions.

The organization opted not to add any secondary help during the draft. Assistant general manager Lance Newmark said the front office considered drafting a cornerback, but the options weren’t enticing.

“It just didn’t make sense at the time,” he said. “It wasn’t that it was not considered. It wasn’t that everything [in the secondary] was fine. It’s just that when we were picking a player in those rooms, it just didn’t make sense as the best decision at that point.”

Washington has spent significant resources in free agency on the defense, adding Robertson, linebacker Leo Chenal, defensive tackle Tim Settle, safety Nick Cross, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, and defensive ends Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu.