3 post-June 1 cut/trade candidates who could entice Commanders
By Jerry Trotta
All 32 NFL teams are three weeks into organized team activities, meaning mandatory minicamp and training camp will be here before we know it. This means surprising moves are on the horizon as teams try to analyze their draft picks and roster bubble players while they sort out their depth charts.
The Washington Commanders are no different, but they’re more likely to be in the market for a potential cut or trade candidate than make a surprise cut. With the NFL calendar now well beyond June 1, certain teams will be looking to clear cap room.
The Commanders are sitting pretty in that regard after Landon Collins’ contract came off the books, so let’s highlight some post-June 1 cut and trade candidates that could intrigue the front office with offseason workouts in full-swing.
3 post-June 1 cut/trade candidates Commanders could target
3. Dee Ford
With Chase Young and Montez Sweat at the helm, the Commanders aren’t desperate for defensive end help. Having said that, Young’s status for Week 1 is uncertain as he recovers from ACL surgery and the depth behind the Pro Bowl talents does not inspire confidence.
Efe Obada has never registered more than 5.5 sacks in a season and James Smith-Williams has just 2.5 sacks over 485 snaps. The rest of the cavalry includes Casey Toohill, Shaka Toney, William Bradley-King and Bunmi Rotimi.
With that in mind, someone like Dee Ford, who feels like a lock to leave San Francisco this offseason, would be a worthwhile addition. The former first-round pick has played less than 400 snaps over the last three seasons, so Washington shouldn’t think about trading for him. If he’s released though, he could be a low-risk, high-reward signing assuming he comes on the cheap.
Injuries have taken a physical and mental toll on Ford, but he was utterly dominant in 2018 for Kansas City before he was dealt to San Francisco that offseason and subsequently signed to a five-year, $85 million extension. In 16 games, he totaled 13 sacks, a NFL-best seven forced fumbles and 78 pressures.
The Commanders love rotating their edge rushers, so it’s not like Ford would be starved of playing time behind Young and Sweat. The 49ers’ loss could be Washington’s gain if San Fran pulls on the plug on the Ford experiment.