Adam Peters urged to trade Commanders' first-round flop before 2024 deadline

Adam Peters has shown no remorse when it comes to removing disposable assets from the Washington Commanders since becoming general manager. Most of these centered on failed draft picks from the Ron Rivera era, but anyone not pulling their weight under the new regime isn't going to last long.

The Commanders are on a sensational run to start the season. They are 4-1 and have some favorable games upcoming if Dan Quinn's men emerge from their tricky road contest at the Baltimore Ravens relatively intact. This could lead Peters into a slight pivot from his original plans before the trade deadline, although it won't be anything as rash as fans became used to when the previous owner held absolute power.

There's a methodical and collaborative approach to recruitment that was sorely lacking previously. Peters will strike when there's a good deal to be had. If not, the front-office figure must be relatively comfortable with the way this roster is performing in Year 1 of his drastic rebuild.

Commanders could trade edge rusher Jamin Davis before the 2024 deadline

Peters could even stockpile his draft assets further if the right situations present themselves. That won't include high-profile names such as defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, but someone like Jamin Davis could be a potential trade candidate given his lack of involvement so far according to Bradley Locker from Pro Football Focus.

"The former first-round pick has not lived up to the hype as a pro, and his 2024 hasn’t been especially encouraging. A linebacker-turned-edge rusher, Davis possesses only a 65.0 PFF overall grade and hasn’t yet recorded a pressure on only 70 total snaps. While Jayden Daniels and the Washington offense are trending upward, there’s little reason to believe that the team's defense will magically improve, and that could mean overall regression. Either way, it would make sense to finally cut ties with Davis, especially since new general manager Adam Peters has attempted to shed dead weight from the previous regime."

- Bradley Locker, PFF

Davis made a transition to edge rusher this offseason and is buried down the depth chart. He's getting no snaps at linebacker thanks to the flourishing partnership of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. The Commanders could begin taking calls for the former first-round selection considering he's out of contract next spring after Washington declined the player's fifth-year option.

This is a dramatic fall from grace for Davis, who was a prominent starter with little else at the defensive second level during the Ron Rivera years. He manned the fort admirably without ever looking comfortable compared to most top-level linebackers around the league. Peters' decision to remove him from the linebacking equation entirely is a damning indictment of how he perceived his contribution.

Whether there's sufficient interest in Davis that would warrant a trade remains to be seen. He's got enough athleticism to be an asset somewhere, but something is missing. This would be nothing more than a late-round selection, which is arguably better than losing the player for nothing in free agency.

Things aren't looking too promising for Davis in Washington. Injuries or poor performance could get him more involved at some stage, but there's just no telling for sure. If the Commanders head up to the deadline with a legitimate chance to make the postseason, Peters could have additions on his mind rather than subtractions.

Whether Davis survives the trade deadline or not, this is likely his final campaign with the team that drafted him out of Kentucky. That's about the only guarantee all things considered.

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