Commanders News: Ron Rivera, Montez Sweat, trade talk and Sam Howell

Commanders DE Montez Sweat on his future

If the Washington Commanders pull the trigger on potential trades before the deadline, this all starts and ends with the defensive end duo of Montez Sweat and Chase Young. While the franchise does boast $91.54 million in salary-cap space next spring with 40 players under contract, the money tied up in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne suggests it might be difficult to keep both around.

Sweat is the name who's drawn interest more than Young currently, although teams could start coming to the fore following their Week 8 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Atlanta Falcons have offered a third-round selection for the former Mississippi State star, which might not be enough to get any deal over the line.

"That’s not yet enough to get the Commanders to do the deal. And whether he’s traded before Tuesday will depend in part on whether the Commanders win or lose on Sunday against the Eagles. Even with a loss, it will be difficult for the current football operation to give up Sweat and/or Young, as they try to win games. If they can get the kind of a return that will be impressive to new owner Josh Harris, maybe they will."

- Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

This is clearly something on Sweat's mind based on his post-game thoughts via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. But the defensive end's stance hasn't changed - he's just waiting to see what develops in the coming days and take it from there.

The Commanders would miss Sweat if he departed. But at the end of the day, they are going nowhere fast in 2023, it's also worth remembering that this is a business.