Commanders News: Ron Rivera, Montez Sweat, trade talk and Sam Howell
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines after their narrow home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8?
It was a valiant effort from the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Improvements were made across the board - which wasn't exactly difficult after their previous outing at the New York Giants - but it wasn't enough to prevent a second loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this season after faltering late.
An interesting couple of days await before the 2023 trade deadline with the Commanders at 3-5, that's for sure. Until then, the stories causing conversation include Ron Rivera's assessment, the prospect of moving some established stars before the all-important October 31 cut-off point, Sam Howell's reflection, and Montez Sweat on the speculation surrounding his future.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders at a crossroads
With a fifth loss in six games, the Washington Commanders have some important decisions to make. The trade deadline gives them a chance to potentially secure decent draft assets to build a long-term plan for sustainable success, which seems almost inevitable after falling just short against the Philadelphia Eagles.
This was a sentiment echoed by Adam Schefter of ESPN prior to Sunday afternoon's clash. The respected insider suggested that any trade decisions would be dependent on how Washington fared versus the Eagles, which was a decent performance without mustering enough from an execution standpoint to get the job done.
"A loss against their division rivals would drop the Commanders' record to 3-5, including 0-3 against NFC East opponents, and leave them as potentially looking to unload players as soon as Monday morning.
- Adam Schefter, ESPN
Washington is not expected to be able to retain both pass-rushers, and at least one team already has inquired about [Montez] Sweat, according to sources. The Commanders are proceeding patiently, waiting to see where their season is going as well as what a team might be willing to offer. So before losing Young or Sweat in free agency, Washington first could decide to trade one to maximize compensation in the 2024 draft instead of getting a compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft."
And now, we wait…