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The Washington Commanders can’t do anything about the schedule, but their quarterback could make strides forward this season. And here are the Commanders’ two best trade targets to round out the 2025 roster.
Washington did a lot of good things for their roster in the NFL Draft. If they hit with second-round pick Trey Amos at cornerback, their secondary will be markedly improved. And sixth-round selection Kain Medrano could surprise at the linebacker position.
But even if the Commanders can get good production out of those guys, there’s still a big need.
Commanders should trade for Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson
We’re getting ready to see if the Commanders believe they can win the Super Bowl in 2025. They need to shore up one area of their defense, and Hendrickson would do it in a heartbeat, according to Justin Melo of the Draft Network.
“The Washington Commanders have been incredibly aggressive this offseason, acquiring veteran talent on offense via trade, such as Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel,” Melo wrote. “The goal is to maximize their championship window while franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels remains on his affordable rookie contract. Hendrickson would seriously upgrade their pass-rushing unit.
“The Commanders lost Dante Fowler to free agency and didn't replace him with anybody notable. Head coach Dan Quinn could have one final roster upgrade in mind. Hendrickson would completely transform Quinn's defensive line. The Commanders are scheduled to have the sixth-most cap space next offseason, so they can afford to extend Hendrickson.”
Given the fact Hendrickson said he won’t play on his current deal, the opportunity awaits for the Commanders, according to espn.com.
“”We've tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process, it becomes personal,” Hendrickson said. “Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don't show up, I will be fined, alludes to the fact that something won't get done in that time frame.”
Trey Hendrickson open to moving on from Bengals
The 30-year-old Hendrickson said the Bengals aren’t approaching the situation in the right way.
“And when there's a lack of communication in any relationship, if it's business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction,” Hendrickson said. “There are unprovoked shark attacks and there's provoked shark attacks.
“”That relationship will repair with time,” Hendrickson said. “And same with this. This is just the uncomfortable business side that we've unfortunately had to deal with for the last couple years. And quite frankly, I think we're all spent.”
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Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. There’s no doubt he’s a force for offensive units to reckon with on game days.
Washington has enough offensive pieces to give opponents room to worry. If the defense could be anywhere in the vicinity of the offense’s capability, the Commanders would be a prime Super Bowl contender.
Right now, the Commanders are leaning on the “Adam Peters knows what he’s doing.” But since the Commanders’ general manager didn’t get an edge rusher in the draft, until he rectifies that situation he’s running the risk of keeping the 2025 season from becoming special.
WR Tyreek Hill should be option
If the Commanders don’t pony up the trade capital to get Hendrickson, they better plan to outscore people. And that means their offense needs one more element of explosiveness.
Hill would provide exactly what the Commanders need, and what opposing defenses don’t want to see. Whether Hill wants to be traded might be determined by which way the wind is blowing on a given day, according to foxsports.com, but the Commanders need to try if they can’t get Hendrickson.
“The speedy receiver made it clear he wanted out of Miami after the season,” Ralph Vacchiano wrote. “Then he backtracked. But if you follow the social media clues, it sure seems like he's still bucking for a trade. He's 31 now, which is alarming for a receiver, and coming off what was for him a year of steep decline. Of course, his 81 catches for 959 yards were still pretty good, if not elite. He's due about $27.7 million in salary and bonuses this season, so any trade might have to include a renegotiated deal. But if he wants it bad enough, the Dolphins might make it happen.”
The Commanders are solid at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, and Michael Gallup. But adding a third element like Hill to McLaurin and Samuel could put Washington over the top.
WR Terry McLaurin eyeing big things for Commanders
McLauin is certainly excited about the 2025 season, according to WUSA9 via Sports Illustrated.
“The way I saw Jayden grow leaps and bounds last year, honestly, we all knew the type of competitor he was when he first got here. He's an extremely smart player and he's very charismatic,” McLaurin said.
“But you've got to see his competitive edge out there on Sundays and the way he just, again, was able to get better week in and week out and put his best foot forward. There were a lot of Sundays where he was our best player out there, you know what I mean? And the way he's able to extend plays with his legs, his arm, and he can make all the throws. And again, I think it's just his competitive nature, where you feel like you got a chance to make big plays with the ball in his hands. So I'm just looking forward to growing with him.”
Washington still needs to make a splash play for their 2025 roster. And again it comes down to belief. Is this the season be “all in?”
