3 reasons Commanders would be insane to trade Chase Young for star QB
By Jerry Trotta
The Washington Commanders‘ offseason is barely a month old and we’ve already seen enough scorching takes to last a lifetime.
For some reason, fans suddenly think the team is above rolling out Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston or another mid-tier quarterback after it deployed a rotation of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen the last two seasons.
Let’s snap out of it and come back to reality.
Somehow, though, this delusion reached NFL front office’s after an executive told The Athletic’s Ben Standig that the Commanders could “justify” (To whom? We have not a clue!) trading a first-round pick for Garoppolo.
We know the NFL offseason comes with rumors of the conceivable and farfetched variety, but the sheer number of unbearable takes and scoops is starting to erase some of the allure and excitement of the QB search.
Amazingly enough, this trend reached a boiling point this past week when fans (not all, but a significant number) made their voices heard on Twitter about being content with including Chase Young in a package for a star quarterback.
This was even followed by Standig sharing in a mailbag that “. . . almost anyone on the roster is available if the result is Washington improving at quarterback. In Young’s case that would mean the Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson level.”
In other words, the Young trade buzz is growing louder, so let’s highlight a few reasons why the Commanders would be insane to trade him.
3 reasons the Commanders shouldn’t trade Chase Young
3. Franchise edge rushers are hard to find
What are the most important non-quarterback positions in the NFL?
If defensive end isn’t second, it’s surely third right behind left tackle, and fans want Washington to trade their franchise edge rusher, who won’t turn 23 until April and is a local kid from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, the second a star QB becomes available?
The fact of the matter is these players don’t grow on trees. Unless one falls into their lap in the middle rounds of the draft or they convince TJ Watt, Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa to leave their current teams, the Commanders aren’t finding one this offseason.
Take a look at the free agent market, for instance.
Do you really want a 33-year-old Von Miller anchoring the defense? What about a soon-to-be 32-year-old in Chandler Jones who is due for regression? A true wild card in Randy Gregory? The oft-injured Jadeveon Clowney?
Harold Landry fits the age profile of Washington’s defensive core, but good luck convincing Tennessee to let him leave after a career year in 2021 during which he posted 12.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 22 QB hits.
This would be a different conversation if there were elite edge rushers waiting to be picked up off the streets. But the only “available” ones are either destined to re-sign with their current team, in Landry’s case, or past their primes.
In other words, stop pretending that Young is expendable.