5 trades the Commanders should consider to boost playoff chances in 2023

What trades could the Washington Commanders make before the deadline to bolster their chances of making the postseason in 2023?

After grinding out a hard-fought victory in Week 6, the Washington Commanders’ hopes of making the wild card haven’t been completely evaporated. Things are still hanging in the balance, but Ron Rivera’s men at least kept themselves in the hunt and steadied the ship following three straight losses.

Reaching the playoffs is the minimum requirement for Rivera, one suspects. Josh Harris’ ownership group is watching everything closely as part of their ongoing assessments, so any perceived lack of growth might lead to landmark changes when the 2023 campaign concludes.

Rivera’s always been keen to state his happiness with this particular group of players. While that’s commendable, the figurehead should also look at ways to improve his options before the upcoming trade deadline.

With this in mind, here are five trades the Commanders might want to consider to enhance their playoff hopes in 2023.

Commanders could trade for Michael Onwenu

The Washington Commanders’ offensive line has taken some expected criticism this season. They’ve had some nice moments, but quarterback Sam Howell is getting hit too much through six weeks and this has the scope to completely derail the team’s postseason aspirations.

While some of the blame can be directly placed on the signal-caller, adding to Washington’s depth might be an option to consider if the price is right. With the New England Patriots going nowhere fast at 1-5 under Bill Belichick, they might decide to sell off assets such as Michael Onwenu when it’s all said and done.

Onwenu is far from perfect and has struggled with discipline issues this season. But based on his exceptional 2022 form, he’d been an immediate upgrade on the rotation and perhaps even as a starter.

Commanders could trade for Garett Bolles

As previously stated, the offensive line might need a few tweaks for the Washington Commanders to take that next step and be discussed among the playoff hopefuls. Sam Howell’s hesitancy to evade pressure in favor of taking sacks would also help, but no team should ever be truly content with starting or depth options in the trenches.

Good offensive linemen aren’t normally made available for trade at this time of year. That’s the nature of the beast – especially with so many injuries occurring around the league – so the deal would have to be right for the Commanders to contemplate such a move before the October 31 deadline.

One player that the Commanders might want to monitor is Garett Bolles. The ferocious edge presence has made his frustrations with how things are unfolding within the Denver Broncos known in uncertain terms, which could lead to the organization parting ways to bolster draft assets for what appears to be a huge project being undertaken by head coach Sean Payton.

Trading one of the league’s most consistent left tackles would represent Denver throwing in the towel this season. Bolles has given up one sack through his first 355 offensive snaps in 2023, so the queue of suitors would be large if the Broncos did place him on the block.

There is also the small matter of the draft compensation and Bolles’ massive contract to consider. But this sort of bold move would instantly upgrade the Commanders’ protection, however unlikely it might be.

Commanders could trade for Jeremy Chinn

If there was one hole on the Washington Comanders’ defense that requires attention, it’s at the defensive second level. Cody Barton’s been nothing short of abysmal aside from an improved outing in Week 6, which leaves third-year-pro Jamin Davis as the only reliable option within the linebacking corps.

Commanders could trade for Jerry Jeudy

The Washington Commanders had high hopes for their wide receiving corps entering 2023. Their talent, previous production, and high-end upside coupled with the presence of Eric Bieniemy meant expectations were through the roof providing quarterback Sam Howell increased stability at football’s most pivotal position.

While the likes of Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel have flashed, others haven’t. Jahan Dotson is going through a sophomore slump currently, Dyami Brown is on the brink of being a lost cause, and Byron Pringle is nothing more than a rotational piece at best.

Unless something changes in the coming weeks, Washington might want to add another potentially prolific presence to make sure Howell’s encouraging progress stays on track. As previously stated, the Denver Broncos could be sellers at the trade deadline given their current state, so let’s start there.

Speculation continues to mount about Jerry Jeudy being on the trade block. Something just isn’t clicking with the former first-round pick and quarterback Russell Wilson of late, which is leading to clear frustrations as a result.

Jeudy’s had some injury troubles throughout his career, but his route running is elite. This makes him the perfect scheme fit for Bieniemy and at just over $12 million in the final year of his deal in 2024, represents an affordable financial option if the Commanders cannot work out an extension with Samuel.

This is reportedly going to cost a third-round pick. Again, it’s affordable if the Commanders genuinely believe Jeudy could help Howell flourish further.

Commanders could trade forJordan Hicks

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Washington Commanders need another capable linebacker to take their defense up a notch. Replacing Cole Holcomb with Cody Barton just hasn’t turned out the way everyone hoped, although Jamin Davis continues to impress on occasion despite getting almost no help around him.