Loser No. 2
Anim Dankwah - Commanders OT
Anim Dankwah signed a reserve/future contract with the Washington Commanders earlier this year. This brought some intrigue from the fans considering his athletic profile and the fact he could only be scratching the surface of his potential.
Dankwah was a dark horse candidate to make the 53-man roster. But with the Commanders allocating significant draft assets to acquire Laremy Tunsil, it pushes everyone else further down the pecking order.
Nobody expected the Commanders to surge Dankwah immediately into a starting spot. He's a development project still trying to make his way in the league. That's no longer in Adam Peters' current timeline with Washington firmly in win-now mode much sooner than anticipated.
Much will depend on any more incomings regarding Dankwah's outlook. The Commanders could re-sign Trent Scott as a fallback option after Cornelius Lucas' departure. They could draft another edge protector or identify a mid-level free agent to provide immediate assistance if injury strikes. Any more arrivals could end Dankwah''s roster hopes almost before they begin.
As previously mentioned with Lucas, this is a small price for progress. There is no time for Peters to wait. Trading for Tunsil adds yet another elite-level player to the ranks and the best blindside protector Washington's had since Trent Williams. All this does from Dankwah's standpoint is magnify the challenge that lies ahead.
Winner No. 2
Brandon Coleman - Commanders OL
Placing Brandon Coleman among the winners of this trade might seem like an odd choice considering he was the previous starting left tackle. But this could be the best thing for his long-term career outlook when it's all said and done.
Coleman came into the Commanders as a third-round pick last year. They deployed him on the blindside immediately despite analysts projecting he'd be better suited to the interior. Splitting edge reps with Cornelius Lucas was a masterstroke by the coaching staff initially. This took some pressure off before he was ready to take complete control.
It was a rollercoaster as expected. Coleman had some tremendous moments. He also looked vulnerable on an island, doing his best work in tighter windows. This was an assessment the Commanders agreed with.
Laremy Tunsil's arrival will see Coleman switch to the interior. His stout frame and core base could be a major asset at one of the guard positions. There will also be a chance to start once again with Sam Cosmi out through injury.
Whether this involves Coleman moving to the left guard spot and Nick Allegretti sliding to the right is anyone's guess. The Commanders could also deploy the TCU product at right tackle and shift Andrew Wylie inside. There's just no telling for sure, but learning from someone like Tunsil is only going to help his cause regardless.