The Hidden Risk the Commanders' Signing of Odafe Oweh Creates

The Washington Commanders have yet to really make any splash plays in free agency, but as most know, games aren't won, and success isn't achieved because of one player.

However, the Commanders have done a great job at adding pieces to their roster that will help improve the overall production while emphasizing getting young guys in that are just set to enter their prime, while also having proven production over the course of their young careers.

The biggest splash made by the Commanders was signing up-and-coming edge rusher Odafe Oweh to a four-year, $100 million deal, but the move to sign him is also the biggest risk they took thus far this offseason.

Ready for Bigger Role?

Oweh is coming off a sensational 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, but he has yet to see real, meaningful time as a full-time starter at his position.

In 2025, Oweh recorded 7.5 sacks, but before his breakout in 2024, when he had 10 sacks with the Ravens, his production was streaky.

By paying Oweh top-tier, game-wrecking money, the Commanders are gambling that his past two seasons of great production as a rotational player will be his new permanent floor. If Oweh reverts to his early years, where he was high on pressures but low on actually finishing with sacks, Washington will have $68 million in guaranteed money tied up in a player who isn't consistently meeting the standards to change the game and the scoreboard.

The Scheme Transition

Another potential hindrance or risk involved with signing Oweh will be how he fits into new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' scheme.

Oweh has spent the majority of his career as a stand-up outside linebacker in 3-4 systems with both the Ravens and Chargers, but will now enter a defense with Dan Quinn and Jones that typically favors a four-man front where pass rushers often play with their hand in the dirt.

Asking Oweh, or any finesse and speed linebacker, to transition to a more traditional defensive end role can be a rocky process. If Oweh isn't able to grasp the transition to his new fit within a defense, losing a step of explosive speed because he is forced to engage more directly with massive NFL offensive tackles at the point of attack, the Commanders' primary weapon for getting after the quarterback could be neutralized.

Final Word

At the end of the day, there should be excitement for what Oweh is going to be able to bring to the Commanders' defense, but there are obvious challenges to overcome for him to reach his full potential.

If Oweh doesn't perform up to the billing as an elite #1 edge rusher as he is being paid to be, the entire pass rush strategy could collapse. The Commanders have banked their defensive identity on Oweh being the alpha of their pass-rushing group, making life easier for the rest of the front seven. But if he struggles, they won't have many other "blue-chip" edges to draw double teams unless K'Lavon Chaisson or Charles Omenihu turn into players that we did not expect.