Reacting to Bleacher Report’s 4 trade proposals for Commanders

The Washington Commanders‘ haven’t been active participants in the NFL’s trade bonanza over the last two offseasons. Yes, they traded for Carson Wentz this year, but they’ve largely been quiet in that department, focusing on making additions via the second and third waves of free agency instead of striking trades.

Could that change in the months to come?

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, writer Ian Wharton brainstormed one trade every team should make before training camp. Given all the captivating pieces on their roster, the Commanders were featured prominently throughout the article; a whopping four times, to be exact.

Given the conservative nature of Washington’s front office, it’s unlikely any of these proposals come to fruition, but that won’t dissuade us from putting our general manager hats on and determining if they’d be smart moves for the club.

Analyzing Bleacher Report’s 4 trade ideas for the Commanders

4. Taylor Heinicke to Cincinnati

Bengals get: QB Taylor Heinicke

Commanders get: 2023 fifth-round pick

This is a prime example of a trade that benefits one team. In this scenario, the Bengals acquire a capable backup behind Joe Burrow, who got sacked a league-leading 51 times last campaign, including an extra 19 in the playoffs. For a QB who led his team to the Super Bowl in just his second season as the starter, it would behoove Cincinnati to acquire a viable backup in the event Burrow has to miss time.

As Wharton notes, Brandon Allen doesn’t inspire much confidence with his career 56.2% completion percentage over three seasons.

While Heinicke would be a perfect complement to Burrow, the Commanders cannot afford to trade the 29-year-old fan favorite. For starters, Carson Wentz has a history of getting banged up and Sam Howell looked overwhelmed at times during OTAs and minicamp. It would be reckless to bank on the 2022 fifth-round pick being ready to step into a backup role after training camp.

We understand where Wharton is coming from with this proposal but it only benefits the Bengals, as Washington would lose one of the best backup QBs in the league while saving just $3.125 million against the cap.