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The Washington Commanders pulled off a miraculous comeback for the second straight week on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8 to push their record to 4-4 on the season. In the ultra competitive NFC East division, the Commanders are somehow staying afloat. Now, the Commanders trade deadline strategy may have to be adjusted to accommodate their recent turnaround.
Despite losing their starting quarterback Carson Wentz to a finger injury, Washington has won their last three games to keep them alive in a packed NFC playoff crowd. They currently are the number eight seed in the NFC, which doesn't get you a playoff spot, but it shows that they are a surprise playoff contender as the season reaches its midway point.
For that reason, Washington has a bit of a dilemma when it comes to their trade deadline strategy. They could go all in and hope to make the playoffs this season, but it seems safer for the Commanders to be sellers if they make any moves at all. Let's take a look at three big reasons why that's the best strategy for Washington ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.
3. The Commanders are still rebuilding
The Commanders haven't had a winning record since the 2016 season, but they have managed to stay competitive in the NFC East largely due to the lack of competition in the division over the past few seasons. We will touch more on the division in a second, but that simply isn't the case this time around.
Washington has been working on building their team back up, and for the most part, they have a pretty strong roster. They have a lot of weapons on offense and an under the radar defense that will only get stronger with the return of Chase Young. But there's also a reason that the Commanders were 1-4 prior to their surprising three game win streak; there are holes on this team that cannot be fixed at the trade deadline.
The biggest issue is their quarterback position obviously; if Washington could find an above average quarterback, they could actually make a wild card push. But for now, the Commanders are still rebuilding. To throw away future assets to make a run for a wild card spot doesn't really make sense, and it would be wise for Washington to hold onto their future in hopes their rebuild will be successful.
2. The Commanders are playing in the most competitive division in the NFL
As previously mentioned, the NFC East has been a punching bag in the NFL for quite some time. The NFC East has been miserable recently, and the lack of competition in the division was a big reason why the Commanders made it into the playoffs in 2020 despite having a 7-9 record. This season has proved just how fast things can change in the NFL.
For starters, the Philadelphia Eagles are the NFL's last undefeated team with a 7-0 record. The Dallas Cowboys overcame an early season thumb injury to Dak Prescott to remain 6-2, and the New York Giants have been the biggest surprise in the league, as they also have a 6-2 record. Right off the bat, those are three teams in line for a playoff spot, making the Commanders margin of error quite thin.
It's also worth noting that Washington still have to play four of their divisional games over their final nine games of the season, which doesn't help matters. The Commanders already had a tall task ahead of them when it came to finding their way into the playoffs, but playing in the NFC East suddenly doesn't help them, which brings us to our final point.
1. The Commanders likely won't make the playoffs even if they are buyers at the trade deadline
Yes, the Commanders are right on the outside of the playoff bubble currently, but the likelihood of them actually finding their way into the playoffs is quite low. The Cowboys and Giants occupy the first two wild card spots right off the bat, with the San Francisco 49ers holding on to the seventh seed. Not many folks are going to argue that the 49ers are worse than the Commanders right now.
The Commanders could try to make a push for that final spot given the volatile nature of the NFC West, but is it really worth it? It doesn't feel like Washington's biggest issues can be remedied at the trade deadline. And even if they can, does becoming a buyer actually earn them a playoff spot?
The only reason this is a conversation is because the Commanders have won their past three games by a combined total of eight points. Football can be very unpredictable, but there's a decent chance those results will even out, especially considering who the Commanders played in those three games. Being a buyer feels like a strategy that isn't worth the Commanders time, and for these three reasons, Washington should be a seller if they make any moves at the deadline.
