Opening day coverage from Week 1 of the NFL Season featuring the Washington Commanders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars camp at FedEx Field, Landover, MD, September, 11th, 2022. (All-Pro Reels / Joe Glorioso)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The roster overhaul has begun for the Washington Commanders.
They released starting left tackle Charles Leno and tight end Logan Thomas on Friday, moving on from two veterans in their 30s as the new regime led by recently hired general manager Adam Peters puts its stamp on the organization.
The Commanders also told center Nick Gates they will release him, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move cannot be completed until the start of the new league year later this month.
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Cutting Leno and Thomas saves the Commanders nearly $13 million in salary cap space, adding to their already abundant spending possibilities. Even factoring in dead money from Leno, they have some of the most space in the league to use this offseason, with more than $70 million at their disposal after including money allocated for their rookie class.
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Leno, 32, is scheduled for hip surgery next week. He finished last season on injured reserve because of a calf problem.
He started 47 games for Washington over the past three years after joining the team from Chicago. Leno played his first seven NFL seasons with the Bears, who released him in 2011.
Thomas, a converted college quarterback, spent the past four seasons with Washington, making 184 catches for 1,685 yards and 14 touchdowns. He turns 33 this summer.
Gates, 28, spent just 2023 with the Commanders after the Ron Rivera-led previous regime signed him to a three-year contract. Gates lost his starting job to Tyler Larsen midway through the season before getting back on the field late when Larsen was injured.
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Washington has the second pick in the draft and five in the top 100 with several holes to fill, including at quarterback and replacements for Leno, Thomas and Gates. Peters earlier this week at the league’s annual scouting combine skirted around whether he’d like to add a veteran QB.
“I feel like it’s really hard to evaluate quarterbacks, but you just try to get better and try to understand what you did the last time that was really good and what you did last time that was really bad,” Peters told reporters in Indianapolis. “Different processes. Hopefully there’s not a whole lot of bad things that you did, but you always learn. And so it’s constantly evolving and I don’t think anybody has the magic pill to understand that one.”
The entire offensive line could be remade in the coming weeks and months, with Peters and new coach Dan Quinn reshaping all facets of the team. Washington brought in Kliff Kingsbury to be offensive coordinator, while Bobby Johnson came over from the NFC East-rival New York Giants to coach the O-line.
