Could the Washington Commanders become sellers at the trade deadline? That’s anyone’s guess, What we do know, though, is that William Jackson III won’t be with the team beyond the Nov. 1 deadline after NFL Network reported the cornerback wants out and the Commanders are engaged in active trade talks.
Not only that, but the report confirmed several teams have expressed interest in Jackson’s services. That’s not what you’d expect from a player who’s been an abomination in coverage and plagued by penalties and durability issues.
However, Jackson isn’t long removed from being one of the top man corners in the league, which makes you wonder why the Commanders paid big money for him to star in their zone scheme, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Since there are seemingly buyers lined up for Jackson, let’s speculate on some potential landing spots for the disgruntled defender.
3 landing spots for Commanders’ William Jackson after trade quest
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have sorely missed TJ Watt’s presence. Though he plays on the defensive line, his ability to rush the passer benefits the entire defense. But why has the secondary been one of the NFL’s worst through five weeks? The answer is pretty simple: injuries.
If you can believe it, cornerbacks Cam Sutton, Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon are all banged up entering Week 6. Not to mention all-world safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is nursing a knee injury and is no guarantee to play in the game and fellow safety Terrell Edmunds is only just returning from concussion protocol.
You mean to tell us Jackson couldn’t step into a substantial role in Mike Tomlin’s defense? The Steelers love playing man coverage, too.
According to Pro Football Focus, Pittsburgh’s played man coverage on 40.2% of their snaps through the first four games; the fifth-most of any team. Conversely, the Commanders have played zone coverage on over 62% of the snaps entering Thursday night vs Chicago.
On snaps Jackson played zone this year, he allowed 11 catches on 11 targets for 131 yards and a touchdown, per PFF. A move to the Steel City — and a return to the AFC North, where’d he play his former Bengals — could be just what the doctor ordered for the veteran defender.
2. New England Patriots
Stop me if you’ve heard this before in the last 20 years, but Bill Belichick has the Patriots playing sound defensive football. Having said that, their cornerback rotation leaves a lot to be desired, which brings into question why they traded Stephon Gilmore, who’s currently thriving in Indianapolis, but that’s irrelevant here.
While Jonathan Jones is the NFL’s highest-graded corner in single coverage through five weeks, per PFF, the Patriots desperately need to equip him with a proper running mate as Jalen Mills owns a 32.6 coverage grade on the season. Third-stringer Myles Bryant hasn’t been much better with his 47.0 grade.
A move to New England and being coached up by Belichick might be exactly what Jackson needs to turn his career around after a dismal stint in the nation’s capital. We all know Belichick loves deploying man coverage. In fact, the Patriots ranked second in the NFL through Week 4 by playing man 48.2% of the time, per PFF.
Jackson would have to contend with Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Gabe Davis and Garrett Wilson in the AFC East, but nobody would turn their nose up at the idea of being coached by the greatest to ever do it.
1. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins boast one of the league’s top cornerbacks in Xavien Howard, but the three-time Pro Bowler’s endured a rough start to 2022. The normally lockdown defender owns a lowly 51.1 coverage grade entering Week 6 and has allowed 14 catches on 21 targets for 269 yards (158 after the catch) and four touchdowns.
As a result, Miami’s pass defense is struggling to the tune of ranking 28th in passing yards allowed. They also rank near the bottom of the NFL in yards per attempt and completion rate allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
The Dolphins’ cornerback depth is a mess right now. Howard missed Week 5 with a groin injury, Byron Jones has yet to play as he recovers from Achilles surgery and Trill Williams suffered a torn ACL in the team’s preseason opener.
Jackson shouldn’t be viewed as a saving grace after his rocky last two seasons, but he’d be a seamless fit in Miami’s man-oriented defense.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins played man coverage on 48.0% of the snaps through Week 4, good for the third-highest of any team in the NFL. They also led the league with a 56.8% man coverage rate in Week 4.
For Jackson, it might be best if he took his talents to South Beach.