Keyed by a stellar rookie-year performance from quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders are acing their rebuilding project and find themselves in position to make a deep playoff run. In order to achieve that goal, Washington is considering making a move or two in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
On October 30, Ben Standig of The Athletic (subscription required) published a piece noting that, while the Commanders’ defense is performing well in terms of points allowed per game (20.9, which ranks 11th in the league), that number is boosted by a generally soft schedule. Standig pointed out that the unit has struggled against quality passers, and he also wrote that, outside of WR Terry McLaurin and Daniels, the offense could use more top-flight playmakers.
It therefore stands to reason that the Commanders would pursue a trade for a pass-catcher and/or a defensive back to address the weak spots on their roster. However, Standig reported that there was minimal buzz in that regard as of the time his piece was published. After all, 2024 is the first year of a multiyear plan, and GM Adam Peters is not going to trade away high-end draft capital if he does not believe his club is a true contender at this point.
According to Standig, there was not a sense that much trade activity was brewing in the Washington front office. He did concede that Peters is willing to consider a deal, especially for a cornerback, and his colleague at The Athletic, Dianna Russini, is more bullish on the odds of Washington pulling off a trade. Per Russini, the Commanders are actively seeking a corner (subscription required), though neither she nor Standig offer any specific names.
The Commanders’ top boundary corners, Benjamin St-Juste and Mike Sainristil, have yielded quarterback ratings of 111.6 and 126.6, respectively, while Pro Football Focus has assigned 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes an abysmal 37.6 coverage grade. Slot defender Noah Igbinoghene has also struggled.
Wide receivers have largely dominated trade conversations both during the offseason and into the regular season, and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the Commanders are among the teams “poking around” the WR market. McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz have received the most targets from Daniels, and while players like Noah Brown, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, and rookie Luke McCaffrey have had their moments, an addition to the top of the depth chart would be a welcome development.
Along with Daniels’ level of play and Washington’s strong start to the season, the club’s fans have another reason to celebrate. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes, players on other teams have either privately stated or have told their agents that they want to be dealt to the Commanders. Whether Peters makes a big swing in the next couple of days remains to be seen, but the Josh Harris ownership group, along with Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, have reversed the league-wide perception of their outfit in short order.
Has there ever been a year where there are as many ‘pretenders’ in this league? I suppose it might be that parity and injuries are to blame, but I wonder if it has more to do with the league’s gambling ties…
Washington’s success seems very similar to the Texans’ last year when they played in a weak division with a last-place schedule. Flip to this year, and the Super Bowl chants are easing a bit with a few injuries and unaddressed weaknesses (like the OL).
Sherminator brings up good points. The NFC was also already just wide open this year outside of SF, and SF is very injured.
Winning cures a lot of ills…..
Especially when you are dealing with both Local and Federal entities for a new stadium. The first stadium bill has passed the House, I believe that this bill is to tear down the original stadium. The current RFK Stadium is owned by D.C. and sits on land that D.C. rents from the Fed’s. The NFL would like a new stadium in Washington D.C. and playoff appearance by the Commanders would be a huge step forward with building support.
Mike Williams…make it happen.