Washington Commanders contact NFL rivals over interest in key defensive departure

The Washington Commanders are considering trading one of Chase Young and Montez Sweat over the next fortnight before the NFL trade deadline.

Both defensive linemen are on expiring contracts and entering unrestricted free agency after the season. Therefore, the Commanders risk losing them for nothing should they not be moved before October 31.

Washington is currently on the bubble of the playoff picture through the first six games after a 3-3 start. However, those three losses have come during their last four, with their 24-16 win at the Atlanta Falcons halting a three-game skid.

READ MORE: Magic Johnson’s four-word warning for Washington Commanders

The Athletic reports that the team has already been making calls around the league to gauge the interest from the market in their players. The suggestions are that one of Sweat and Young will go if a suitable offer presents itself before the end of this month.

There is, though, said to be nothing imminent. Instead, the Commanders are content to stay patient and act based on their final two games before the deadline.

Washington is on the road at AFC East rivals the New York Giants this week before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles to end October. With their divisional rivals off to a 1-5 start, and quarterback Daniel Jones questionable to play due to a neck injury, a defeat tomorrow could hasten the process.

The Washington Commanders are considering trading one of Chase Young and Montez Sweat over the next fortnight before the NFL trade deadline.

Both defensive linemen are on expiring contracts and entering unrestricted free agency after the season. Therefore, the Commanders risk losing them for nothing should they not be moved before October 31.

Washington is currently on the bubble of the playoff picture through the first six games after a 3-3 start. However, those three losses have come during their last four, with their 24-16 win at the Atlanta Falcons halting a three-game skid.

READ MORE: Magic Johnson’s four-word warning for Washington Commanders

The Athletic reports that the team has already been making calls around the league to gauge the interest from the market in their players. The suggestions are that one of Sweat and Young will go if a suitable offer presents itself before the end of this month.

There is, though, said to be nothing imminent. Instead, the Commanders are content to stay patient and act based on their final two games before the deadline

The former rookie Pro Bowler has 12 combined tackles, seven quarterback hits, three tackles for a loss and three sacks. However, the Commanders moving Young is not their only option.

If they decide to extend Sweat early, they could franchise tag Young if a deal gets done before next year’s deadline. The contractual dilemma stems from declining the player’s fifth-year option during the offseason.

But after already giving long-term contracts to other interior defenders, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, extending Sweat and Young seems like an excessive expenditure. Unlike Young, the team did exercise Sweat’s fifth-year option to keep him on the roster for this season, but whether that will have any bearing on who out of the two is more or less likely to stay in the capital remains to be seen.

 

Washington is on the road at AFC East rivals the New York Giants this week before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles to end October. With their divisional rivals off to a 1-5 start, and quarterback Daniel Jones questionable to play due to a neck injury, a defeat tomorrow could hasten the process.

The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, which has put all 32 NFL teams in a frenzy trying to determine whether they should buy or sell before Oct. 31 passes. That includes the Washington Commanders, who have several young pieces on expiring contracts, including Chase Young and Montez Sweat.

Both players are former first-round picks, but for various reasons, the Commanders haven’t been able to agree on new contract value for the talented edge rushers. The uncertainty surrounding both players has led to rampant trade speculation for teams looking to boost their pass rush.

Yet, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Commanders have even fueled some of these rumors by picking up the phone and gauging trade interest on both Young and Sweat, trying to see what offers may be available.

Russini’s report indicates the Commanders are taking a wait-and-see approach over the next two weeks, knowing the outcome of their next two matchups will directly impact whether they sell off spare parts or make a push for the playoffs.

While there’s no way of knowing what the Commanders’ intentions are, Russini gets the feeling that one of Young or Sweat will be traded before Oct. 31. But only if Washington can find an offer to their liking. So far, that has yet to materialize.

Sweat leads the Commanders with 4.5 sacks this season, and Young is right behind him with three. The two have 7.5 of the team’s 19 sacks for a Washington team that ranks eighth in sacks per game entering Week 7.