Reacting to Bleacher Report’s 4 trade proposals for Commanders

1. Daron Payne to Detroit

Lions get: DT Daron Payne

Commanders get: DT Michael Brockers, 2023 second-round pick

Would you look at that? A trade that actually seems beneficial for both parties!. As much as Commanders fans would hate to see Payne go, the selection of Phidarian Mathis in the second round in April suggests the former first-round pick is the odd man out on Washington’s defensive line in terms of extensions.

Recouping a second-round pick and a seasoned veteran in Brockers for Payne, who’s likely to leave in free agency next offseason anyway, would be smart business by the Commanders. Brockers wasn’t at his best in 2021 (his 40.6 PFF player grade was an extreme outlier relative to his career output), but that can be attributed to the fact he was playing on a porous Lions defensive front.

A former first-round pick of the St. Lous Rams, Brockers has started at least 14 games in every season dating back to his second year in 2013. From 2016-2020, he averaged a 71.7 player grade from PFF playing alongside Aaron Donald, so there’s reason to believe he could return to that form next to Jonathan Allen.

Payne would be a crushing loss for the defense, but getting back a second-round selection that was offloaded in the Wentz trade while not losing any depth at DT wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Payne, meanwhile, would get to team up with Aidan Hutchinson and an up-and-coming Lions squad.

Wharton is definitely onto something here.