The initial shock over the massive trades that sent two of the Washington Commanders‘ most popular players to new destinations has now settled in. It’s football as usual and this weekend’s matchup with the New England Patriots can either justify the departures of Chase Young and Montez Sweat or ignite the naysayer crowd even more.
Whatever side of the fence you stand on, the moves signaled a new way of doing business for the Commanders.
Led by owner Josh Harris, Washington pulled off two major moves that brought in more draft picks for a roster that will need to fill several positions of need in the 2024 NFL draft.
Players in today’s sports understand that loyalty means nothing if the production on the playing field isn’t up to par with the money being spent.
That was the case with Young and Sweat. Both players are extremely athletic for men their size. While looking at the duo it appeared that they possessed every physical trait wanted in defensive ends in the NFL. The production on the other end said differently.
Young, who was the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY) back in 2020 never developed the full arsenal needed to be in the same class of the most dominant pass rushers. He showed glimpses of being that type of force, but coming back from a knee injury that caused him to miss almost a full season, Young never galvanized the defense which was expected when drafted the #2 overall pick in 2020.
Sweat was selected late in the first round of the 2019 draft. The former Mississippi State product like Young showed flashes of being a dominant player but could never string those moments together for consecutive games.
Both players were expected to be part of an all-first-round defensive front four alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. The experiment produced at times but overall the team’s new ownership group decided it was time to cut bait and try to recoup quality draft picks while both Young and Sweat had trade value.
The onus will now be on the continued development of second-year quarterback Sam Howell and retooling the defensive line with the likes of Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams.
For Howell, the former North Carolina star has come into his own and has a good portion of the team’s fanbase thinking he could be the long-term answer for the position.
Despite being sacked a league-leading 41 times over the first eight weeks of the season, Howell has performed well throwing for 2,146 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also has a rushing touchdown. Again, this is despite a porous offensive line that will need to be upgraded during the offseason.
Howell seems to understand his role in the franchise and is growing into a leader as well. When asked about the recent trades of Young and Sweat and the perceived rebuild now underway he responded:
“Honestly, the players aren’t really involved in many of those conversations. For us, we just try to control what we can control and try to do the best we can on a daily basis to help this team win football games,” Howell said while talking to team media before practice. “I think obviously you lose two players like that, it gives an opportunity for some other guys to get in there and improve what they can do. We still have a lot of football left this year and we’re not just fully set on rebuilding. We’re trying to win right now, and we feel like we have the players to do that. We’re going to do everything it takes to try to win each and every game that we play.”
Howell almost jumps into the role of the franchise’s most important player because his success can determine what Washington does with their draft picks and free-agent acquisitions.
Toohill and Smith-Williams have played well when they have received extensive snaps. A strong showing this weekend would go a long way in justifying their opportunities now and in the future with the Commanders. Toohill has amassed four sacks on the season in a backup role which was one less than Young’s five sacks and Sweat’s 6.5.
All eyes will be on Howell, a revamped offensive line that had success last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Toohill, Smith-Williams, and a new-look defensive front as they embark on Gillette Stadium in New England to face the Patriots on Sunday.
As always, GOOD READ!!!