Commanders News: Ron Rivera, Chase Young, Montez Sweat and Sam Howell

49ers on Chase Young trade decision

Chase Young's bright start to the season ignited just enough interest for the Washington Commanders to get something back in return for a once-generational talent taken No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. A compensatory third-round selection was seen as grand larceny by many, although some other mitigating factors in play played a role in his departure.

Young gets a fresh start and the Commanders get the chance to see if others can step up before making long-term plans. When discussing the trade, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch stated via The Spun that this was the best deal they could get in pursuit of filling a huge need.

"I felt like it was the best deal to be had. We had a number of conversations, and we’ve always been of the philosophy that it starts up front, and that was the deal that made the most sense for us. In the NFL, you’ve got to earn the right to rush the passer, and you do that by playing the run well, and we’ve not been good enough there. So I think when we start doing the little things right, that gives you the opportunities, and ultimately, I think we’re going to get this thing right and all those things. But that definitely is true. We’ve got to shore that up. It starts with stopping the run, and we haven’t been doing that well enough, so we got to do that. And then we got ample ability and options as pass rushers to start to pull this together."

- John Lynch via The Spun

Placing Young on a defensive front that also includes Javon Hargrave, Nick Bosa, and Arik Armstead comes with mouth-watering potential. More importantly, the Ohio State product should be highly motivated after questions about his work ethic and character came to light in the trade's immediate aftermath.