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Commanders to Ink Former Top-5 Pick to 1-Year Deal: Report

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Getty Clelin Ferrell makes a lot of sense as a potential trade target for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Washington Commanders continue to add players as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Clelin Ferrell, has come to an agreement with the team.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is for one year.

Teams and agents are allowed by the NFL to negotiate and come contracts yet they cannot be officially signed until the new league year begins on March 13 at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

Ferrell becomes the second defensive end added in free agency after the team came to an agreement with former Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong in the opening hours of the legal tampering period.

New Washington head coach Dan Quinn rotates his defensive line often. A stable of pass rushers only suits to fix what ails the Commanders defense. With only 39 sacks last season, the Commanders ranked 26th in getting to the quarterback while also ranking near the bottom in many defensive statistical categories.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Ferrell won a national championship at Clemson en route to being the second defensive end selected in 2019 behind Nick Bosa now of the San Francisco 49ers.

How Clelin Ferrell Fits With the Commanders

Ferrell did not live up to the expectations of a top-five selection, recording only 5.5 sacks in his rookie year in 2019.

The 26-year-old Richmond, Virginia native gets to go back home after a five-year hiatus. Ferrel completed his rookie contract but his fifth-year option, tied to all first-round picks, was not exercised by the Raiders.

His career in silver and black ended with 10.0 sacks in 58 games.

Ferrell chose to stay in the area by signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded 3.5 sacks and a career-high 13 quarterback hits helping San Fran get to the Super Bowl.

His 30 pressures for the 49ers were also a personal best last season.

For his career, Ferrell has 17 career sacks, 29 quarterback hits, and 80 QB hurries. Only in his rookie season has he ever played more than 500 snaps in a season.

It also makes it likely Washington isn’t done adding pressure players for the scheme Quinn wants to employ.

The New Look Commanders Defense

With Ferrell on board, Washington has two young but experienced bookends to flank a formidable interior manned by defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

That group also has two young linebackers. 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis and the recently acquired Frankie Luvu, previously of the Carolina Panthers, now man the second level.

Youth appears to be the common theme forming in our nation’s capital.

The three new additions on defense bring a combined 16.5 sacks from the 2023 season with them. Harassing the quarterback has always been a Dan Quinn defensive staple and that seems to be a priority in free agency for the Commanders.

With little movement regarding the defensive back market, a thin group in Washington should also get a youth makeover. Slow markets often correlate with the depth of the upcoming draft. The breadcrumbs of their free agency plan reveal a trail of a strong incoming cornerback crop.

Either way, pressuring quarterbacks only helps the secondary, and Washington figures to have plenty of options in 2024.

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The Washington Commanders are set to sign free agent DE Clelin Ferrell, who was a top five pick in the 2019 NFL draft.