As the Washington Commanders ponder their future ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, Ron Rivera and company have at least one offer for one of their star defensive ends.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Atlanta Falcons have offered a third-round draft pick for Montez Sweat.
The latest coincides with a report by The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala that the Commanders had at least one offer for Sweat.
There are expectations that Washington could move on from one of its defensive ends, either Sweat or Chase Young. Both players are in a contract year.
Montez Sweat is playing the 2023 season on an $11.5 million fifth-year option. He entered Week 8 leading the team with 5.5 sacks.
The Commanders are up against the preferred salary cap allocation for defensive linemen. Washington already has two defensive tackles, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, making each over $20 million annually.
Young is also due to be a free agent after Washington declined his fifth-year option for next season. Young is second on the team with 5.0 sacks and fourth in the NFL with pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Falcons are near the bottom of the league with 1.9 sacks per game. Five of their 13 sacks occurred against the Commanders, who have yielded the most sacks in the NFL this season. Adding pass-rushing help could boost Atlanta, which is in first place in the NFC South.
Rivera is looking to save his job as Washington’s head coach. He needs to win to impress new owner Josh Harris. Trying to hang on to the talented defensive line makes sense for him. However, the team’s best interest long-term may be to get a return for at least Young or Sweat to offload future money.
