ASHBURN, Va. — The discussion of whether the Washington Commanders should be aggressive buyers at the trade deadline is at least two weeks premature. The story is that it’s a conversation worth having.
Navigating toward a time beyond this season guided first-year general manager Adam Peters’ offseason roster overhaul. Like-minded thinking from ownership ensured no friction from the start.
“It’s a long journey. There’s no shortcuts to the top,” managing partner Josh Harris said at last winter’s Sports Business Journal’s Dealmakers Conference. “There’s shortcuts to the middle. You want to be 8-8? I can get you there quickly — 8-8-1. You want to be great? There are no shortcuts.”
But there are opportunities. The Commanders’ stunning 3-1 start to the 2024 season and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ star turn may soon provide one.
GO DEEPER
What I’m seeing from the Commanders: Jayden Daniels has offense humming through 4 weeks
Trade speculation involving Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams dominated headlines this week, and that will continue until a resolution emerges before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. Though reports suggest they are open to it, it’s unclear whether the Raiders will honor the six-time Pro Bowler’s trade request. Speculation over potential landing spots isn’t waiting. They include Washington, the team atop the NFC East after four weeks, just as nobody predicted.
Other tempting names will join the rumor mill. Some, like the soon-to-be 32-year-old Adams, will be linked to Washington even if the Peters plan, influenced by the personnel executive’s time with the San Francisco 49ers, isn’t about quick fixes.
Though active in free agency — more than half the roster consists of new players — only four outside players signed contracts with guaranteed money beyond 2024: linebacker Frankie Luvu, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and interior offensive linemen Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti. Others, such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz, were acquired for their talent and winning mindset. Primary building blocks were acquired in the draft.
“We’re going to be very process-driven and diligent in who we select in free agency,” Peters said in January. “But we’re going to build through the draft here.”
Peters and his staff may have found a quarterback (Daniels), left tackle (Brandon Coleman), slot corner (Mike Sainristil), defensive tackle (Johnny Newton) and receiver contributor (Luke McCaffrey). The fixer-upper job is still ongoing. Four successful weeks into an NFL season isn’t enough time for a focused franchise to change its long-term thinking. The Commanders have four picks in the first three rounds in 2025. And the needs list, led by cornerback and receiver, isn’t exactly short.
“They need to keep their picks,” said a former NFL general manager.
Peters’ modus operandi involves exploring all options and not being afraid of risk in the name of the big picture. Trade bait exists with numerous expiring contracts and a prominent potential 2025 salary-cap casualty in two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
Trading non-2025 veteran roster locks like Allen and running back Austin Ekeler, a reasonable idea with a losing record, would add more picks. When a 28-point road victory over the Arizona Cardinals extends the team’s winning streak to three games and Daniels racks up weekly awards, there must be a conversation about acquiring help. Perhaps a quote by George Allen, Washington’s 1972 Super Bowl coach, gets invoked. Is the future now?
Another week, another @pepsi Rookie of the Week nod for @JayD__5 pic.twitter.com/yxqit3COJT
— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2024
Contention windows in the NFL are never guaranteed. Washington fans know this better than most. It’s been over 30 years since the franchise last lifted the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champions. Forget winning it all. The 1991 season was realistically the last time Washington had contender vibes.
That drought makes this new high all the more exciting. Thirsty fans want bold action, and national reporters see this surge as justification for plopping the Commanders into trade speculation. On the surface, that’s understandable. Other 3-1 teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills, and the 2-2 New York Jets and New Orleans Saints — make sense for Adams. Like Washington, there’s a need for receiver help.
GO DEEPER
Davante Adams trade proposals: What could the Raiders get for the future Hall of Fame WR?
Unlike those teams that entered the season and made moves toward contention, the Commanders prioritized other factors. Washington’s surge is headlined by Daniels’ jaw-dropping performances while directing an offense that sets efficiency records. The baseline variable is the internal feel-good vibes led by people-person head coach Dan Quinn. Establishing a winning mindset and football identity has dictated numerous personnel decisions.
“I want to make sure above all things … that when people watch us play, they know what Commanders football looks like,” Quinn said. “We’re going to find our true north to say we are going to be explosive (and) physical. If we do those things right and if we can get to that space quickly, the success will follow.”
Preseason projections typically dumped the Commanders, coming off a 4-13 season, near the conference basement. Therefore, it’s incredible that any notion of Washington becoming aggressive on the trade market is on the public docket. The 37-20 Week 1 loss at Tampa Bay exposed perceived weaknesses and highlighted why Washington’s situation read more like a trade deadline seller.
Then came the 21-18 home win over the New York Giants, with Daniels delivering his first comeback victory. The poised quarterback’s otherworldly showing in a 38-33 triumph at Cincinnati on “Monday Night Football” impressed football fans and thinkers from coast to coast. Washington’s balanced 42-14 romp Sunday at Arizona turned this curiosity into a perceived contender.
GO DEEPER
Biggest surprises and a rookie MVP: NFC East writers break down division through 4 games
Allegretti, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, is familiar with such talk.
“It’s a long season. There’s going to be ups and downs. I’m sure at some point this season we’re going to (face) a defense that thinks it got something figured out … show us some looks we haven’t seen,” the left guard said Wednesday.
It’s conceivable that will occur over the next two games against teams with stout defenses. Washington hosts Cleveland on Sunday before heading up I-95 to face Baltimore.
“It’s fun (playing) because of how hard it is to compete and have success every week,” Allegretti continued. “Understanding that it’s an 18-week regular season, plus you want to play in the playoffs. Understand, you got to learn from wins, losses, whatever it is, take advantage of every day.”
That’s the mindset Peters and Quinn want to implement this year. The camaraderie has kicked in, and the needed weekly approach is there.
“I knew the connection would be the No. 1 thing for us,” Quinn said Wednesday about the winning record. “How connected this team could get on all three phases. … I thought the team’s done a good job of fast-tracking the feeling-out process, putting agendas to the side, absolutely all-out effort.
“Those are the nonnegotiables we’d have to have, and the team has gotten that way faster than (perhaps) a more established team.”
Finish the season with high marks in those areas and watch Peters attack the transactional market in the offseason. Having a dynamic quarterback on a rookie deal makes that easier.
But here we are, a team looking like a legit player on the NFL stage after four weeks. Some talkers have Washington among the league’s best now. More wins won’t slow down the hype. Meanwhile, the Adams discussion is very public. The playmaker could raise the ceiling for some squads in cities where the cost of a Day 2 pick (at least) isn’t considered excessive.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Is that Washington? It seems dubious, though not for the money. The Commanders can absorb his roughly $1 million weekly salary, and the remaining two years at roughly $36 million are non-guaranteed. The deadline offers a limited player pool, while the offseason includes free agency and draft candidates. Then there is team chemistry.
“Going for the instant (help), that usually doesn’t work,” another ex-GM said this week. “Philadelphia is very aggressive with going out to get help. I don’t know how well that has worked. They haven’t looked the same since they lost in the Super Bowl. Sometimes, you bring in someone from the outside and it becomes a major distraction.”
The next challenge is having the discipline to stay the course if Washington keeps winning. Granted, contention opportunities are not a birthright. They can also be lost when you leap too soon.
(Photo of Adam Peters: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
