After coming up just shy of the postseason in 2021, the Washington Commanders haven’t been able to carry any momentum into 2022. However, now instead of being in third place of the NFC East, as they were a season ago, now head coach Ron Rivera has his team in last place and firmly in the hot seat.
Their offense ranks in the bottom tier of the league, scoring 17 points per game, and the defense has allowed 21 or more points in five-of-six games. Needless to say, something needs to change in a hurry if the Commanders have any hope of making a postseason push.
Sometimes the best way to create a spark within the locker room is to add talent to the existing core. That’s exactly the idea here, where we highlight three outside-the-box trade targets for the Washington Commanders before the November 1 NFL trade deadline date.
Washington Commanders solve their running back problem with Christian McCaffrey
All season long, the Commanders have tried to jumpstart their running game. Maybe Brian Robinson becoming the starter is the missing link, as the team ran for 128 yards on the ground against Chicago, but if Carson Wentz is going to continue finishing with 99 yards through the air, that type of effort won’t be good enough either.
A backfield combo of Antonio Gibson mixed with Robinson is serviceable. It’s better than what the Commanders were working with prior to Robinson’s arrival, but it won’t cause anyone to load the box, making life easier on the QB. With Washington ranking 10th-worst in yards per carry, with the 11th-fewest rushing yards, it wouldn’t hurt to consider outside options that could solve their issues once and for all.
How about a trade for Christian McCaffrey? The career-long Carolina Panthers All-Pro played under coach Rivera for three seasons from 2017-19. He had to believe in the former Stanford tailback, as the Panthers boldly selected CMC eighth overall back in 2017. He quickly rewarded the team’s health in him by finishing with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in his first season and was up to 2,392 yards from scrimmage in Rivera’s final season in Carolina.
Rivera knows exactly what McCaffrey can provide both as a runner and a receiver. Not only can he solidify their backfield’s rushing attack, but McCaffrey can also become Wentz’s safety vest, adding another weapon to the offense, if not becoming the leading producer.
Related: 5 Christian McCaffrey trade scenarios from the Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera takes a chance on Jeff Okudah
One area the Commanders have also struggled in is pass defense, where former starter William Jackson III has recently hit the bench and is likely headed out of town via trade. Whether Jackson gets traded or not, the Commanders not only need to add depth, but they also need to start identifying something resembling a No. 1 cornerback.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are also in a similar, yet slightly worse boat at 1-4. Not only are the Lions struggling, they allow the most points in football. Former No. 3 overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, cornerback Jeffrey Okudah hasn’t lived up to his draft position and has only been available for 15 games after missing all but one game last year with an injury.
Okudah’s flashed elite potential. It’s why he was taken so high coming out of Ohio State, and still just 23 years old, he’s worth taking a flier on. Yet, ‘taking a flier’ probably isn’t fair, as chances are the Lions aren’t ready to sell low on a former top pick. Still, if the Commanders are calling around, looking for a cornerback who could become a high-impact player, Okudah would be our first inquiry.
Related: 3 reasons why it’s time for the Washington Commanders to fire Ron Rivera
Commanders buy low on Mac Jones
When discussing ways for the Commanders to improve, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room. They need better quarterback play under center. Carson Wentz hasn’t looked any bit like a long-term solution, and he can be released after the season with no cap penalty at all.
Wentz hasn’t been able to manage the pressure, taking more sacks than any other NFL QB, and he’s averaging just 6.4 yards per pass attempt. With Wentz potentially on a short leash, the Commanders could turn to veteran backup Taylor Heinicke or rookie fifth-round pick Sam Howell instead. Yet, even they have their flaws.
Heinicke couldn’t move the chains often enough to inspire a top-rated offense a season ago, and that’s unlikely to change with another chance this year either. Meanwhile, Rivera may be hesitant to hand the keys over to a 22-year-old rookie.
That’s where New England’s Mac Jones could make a lot of sense. It seems like a ridiculous proposition that the 15th overall pick from a season ago, who made the Pro Bowl as a replacement, could be set to lose his job. Yet, after two strong starts from rookie Bailey Zappe, Jones’s grasp on the starting role may have slipped out of his hands.
If you’re the Commanders who have failed time and time again to identify a franchise quarterback, do you pick up the phone and see if Bill Belichick’s open to making a deal? Jones would at least provide a potential long-term solution, whereas Wentz does not. And the jury is still out on Howell, but we know Jones’s floor, and that’s a capable starter. Maybe Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin can help the former Alabama QB come closer to reaching his ceiling with the Commanders?
Related: New England Patriots’ Bailey Zappe looking to ‘Wally Pipp’ Mac Jones