Normally, this space is reserved for the takeaways from the Washington Commanders’ most recent game. We wait for the adrenaline to ebb, watch the All-22 tape, study the PFF grades, and come up with a list of things we learned from the week before.
This week is different. Two blockbuster trades at the deadline sent Montez Sweat and Chase Young, two cornerstones of what was supposed to be a dominant defensive front four meaning there has been a seismic shift in the DMV. The week 8 loss to the Eagles was only the beginning.
The Harris Group has entered the building
We knew change would come, but this was a thunderbolt.
In the span of three hours, Harris and the ownership group orchestrated the trade of Sweat to Chicago for a second-round pick and Young to San Francisco for a conditional third.
The move creates both draft capital and salary cap space. It will make winning in 2023 more difficult but open up plenty of options in 2024.
Ron Rivera has to be on his way out
Even the most ardent Rivera supporters can’t make a logical case for his return in 2024. Rivera will no doubt rationalize the trades into good news in the coming days but it’s hard to believe this was his idea.
Numerous reports indicate Harris and company were the driving forces behind these moves. Harris is known for “The Process” that transformed the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers into a title contender, with yesterday’s moves having all the makings of the NFL version.
Washington is now an attractive destination
The ownership group’s first job once the season concludes will be to let Rivera go and hire a new general manager who in turn, will hire a new head coach.
These jobs are coveted, there are only 32 of them, but Tuesday’s moves give whoever is GM a leg up in rebuilding the club.
Washington has 9 picks in the 2024 draft, three in the top 50. The club also has 85 million dollars in salary cap space.
The Commanders will need players, only 40 are under contract, but there is more than enough money to fill out the roster and include some big free-agent acquisitions.
When Rivera was hired, he said rebuilding the Commanders would take time, four or five years. Teams like Detroit, Miami, and Jacksonville have proved a modern NFL franchise can go from worst to first much faster.
The next GM will now have the ammunition to do just that.