It's no secret that the Washington Commanders have a surplus in their wide receiver room. General manager Adam Peters should use that to his advantage before the final cut deadline passes.
Specifically, the Commanders should consider trading one of their wideouts deemed surplus to requirements in pursuit of finding a better solution at center.
Releasing Tyler Biadasz and missing out on high-profile free agent Tyler Linderbaum has caused a ripple effect. Nick Allegretti has barely been seen this summer after suffering a calf strain on the first day of training camp, and those tasked with filling the void have not stepped up effectively enough in his absence.
Commanders could potentially flip a wide receiver to solve their center problem
This is a big problem.
Head coach Dan Quinn admitted as much after Washington's preseason loss against the Detroit Lions. There is also a large enough sample size to suggest things are not going to get better unless additional reinforcements arrive in the near future.
And the sooner it happens, the better Washington's hopes will be.
Options are thin on the veteran market free-agent right now. Some possibilities could become intriguing after final cuts, but there is just no telling for sure.
If Peters wants to be a little more proactive, which is entirely possible, examining potential trade options should be considered. And the Commanders could potentially use a wide receiver as bait.
Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs are roster locks. Third-round rookie Antonio Williams is, too. Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey have too much value on special teams to be removed from the equation, which leaves one or two spots for the rest.
Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson Jr., Jaden Bradley, and Jacoby Jones are all vying for spots. Not everyone will make it, but one or two could be potentially useful to another club. And if Peters can find one trade partner with a surplus at center, this represents a win-win for all parties.
Commanders must act now to avoid problems when the real action begins
It will be difficult, but not impossible.
Peters has resisted the urge to make any trades this offseason. The Commanders have opted to build the more traditional way, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If the front-office leader can flip a receiver for a center in a player-for-player transaction, it's something he should seriously consider.
Allegretti might still be the starter in this scenario, but the Commanders need a better contingency plan. That's not up for discussion at this point, and Quinn all but admitted there are concerns inside the building.
Making the tough choices just before the campaign begins will save the Commanders hardship in the long run.
Whether they should have addressed their center position with more urgency earlier in the offseason is moot, in all honesty. Action is needed now, and if the Commanders get the chance to flip one of the receivers who won't make the team into a possible contributor in the offensive trenches, Peters could jump at the opportunity.
It'll be interesting to see what comes from this. Peters and Quinn are strong talent assessors, so the coach's comments about the center problem were telling. And it would be a surprise if the general manager didn't agree.
More dealing could be imminent. Fans should expect nothing less.
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