The NFL trade deadline was going pretty quietly — that is it until Tuesday afternoon. That’s when the Washington Commanders not only traded former first-round pick Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a third-round pick, but they also traded 2020 No. 2 overall pick and DMV native Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers. While both moves had been rumored to be a possibility, most believed only one would be dealt, if either.
On Tuesday the Josh Harris group, which purchased the team this summer and includes NBA legend Magic Johnson, decided to hit the reset button and rebuild their roster. The moves prove that the Commanders are writing off this season for the future, and at 3-5 and in a division with the Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) and Dallas Cowboys (5-2) it’s probably a smart move to build for the future.
Team Soured On Young, Sweat Wasn’t Re-Signing
When they paired Young and Sweat together in 2020, the hopes were high, with many around the organization believing they had Charles Mann and Dexter Manley kind of ability as a duo. That never came to fruition, as both had moments but never became elite.
The team decided to pick up Sweat’s fifth-year option which happens to be this season, and declined to pick up Young’s fifth-year option, which would’ve been next season. Reports are Sweat’s agent informed the team that he wouldn’t re-sign at season’s end. With Young it seems his freelancing ways had become too much to deal with. In fact, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, who’ll now be covering Young, said this following the trade:
“Young, according to several Commanders coaches and other organizational sources, was viewed as an undisciplined player who developed bad habits such as deviating from assignments to make splash plays,” Silver wrote Tuesday. “His off-the-field priorities and commitment to his craft were often questioned, and he was viewed internally as a player who plateaued as a rookie.”
Were These The Right Moves?
That remains to be seen, but this writer could see trading one of the two, not both. Sweat seemed gone, so the belief was they’d stand pat with Young for at least one more season. On the flip side, and as it pertains to the money each player could’ve been demanding, the moves are correct. Edge rusher is the third-highest-paid position in the NFL after the quarterback and wide receiver position, and trying to pay two wasn’t something the Commanders were interested in doing. Especially after tying big money into the interior of their defensive line with tackles DaRon Payne and Jonathan Allen.
With a young promising quarterback in Sam Howell, and a ton of cap space, the team is now set up for a nice rebuild. Fans in the DMV will have to be patient and let it play out over time.
The Harris group isn’t done making moves, so it would be very surprising to see head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio not back after this season.
They traded James Harden, P.J. Tucker and the aforementioned Sweat and Young in 11 hours.
Nobody’s SAFE!
