A NEW ERA
NFL star who has made $27 million in career earnings wakes up unemployed as team makes series of brutal roster cuts
The Washington Commanders will look vastly different in 2024 if their current rate of cuts continues
A NEW era has dawned for the Washington Commanders.
Kicking off their first offseason at the helm of the Commanders, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have already begun to leave their mark on the roster.
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On Friday, the team announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they had released tight end Logan Thomas and tackle Charles Leno Jr.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, Thomas, 32, went on to play for the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills before landing in Washington in 2020.
Their starter at the position since his arrival, Thomas racked up 1,685 receiving yards and fourteen touchdowns in 52 games with the Commanders.
All in all, he's earned over $27 million during his NFL career to date.
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Thomas' release has cleared $6.54 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.
As for fellow 32-year-old Leno, who was initially drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears in 2014, his release ends a three-year stay at FedEx Field.
The 2018 Pro Bowler has been a consistent starter in the league since 2015, earning over $61 million in the process.
Leno's departure has also given the Commanders more cap space to work with, freeing up a further $7.28 million, per Spotrac.
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But it seems that Adams and Quinn aren't done there.
Starting center Nick Gates is also reportedly set to be cut, just one year into the three-year $16.5 million deal he signed last offseason, as per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
2024 NFL running back free agency
He is still set to earn $1.99 million guaranteed this season from Washington.
Formerly an undrafted free agent, Gates, 28, kicked off his NFL career with the Giants in 2018.
After spending his rookie year on injured reserve, he subsequently earned the starting role in 2020.
Gates' 2021 season was cut short after breaking his leg against Washington, before missing much of the following season on the PUP list.
Having started ten of his thirteen games with the Commanders, he will now seemingly be on the lookout for a new home once again.
In six seasons, Gates has earned over $14.8 million.
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With a further three offensive linemen (Cornelius Lucas, Saahdiq Charles, and Tyler Larsen) set to become unrestricted free agents on March 13, and one tight end (Brandon Dillon) an exclusive rights free agent, the Commanders' offense could well look vastly different in 2024.
Not to mention that they're widely expected to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick in April.
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