In the NFL, roster cuts are never as simple as who stays and who goes. In some circumstances, swapping players between teams benefits both sides. One player may not be good enough to be in the top linebackers for one team, but he might represent enough value to another team to bring a draft pick for a player who was going to get cut . In Washington's situation, perhaps they could find better interior offensive line depth. The team is currently desperate for it. Washington GM Adam Peters' biggest obstacle here will be identifying which bubble players are worth shopping.
With the addition of Stefon Diggs and the emergence of rookie Antonio Williams , Washington's receiver room got crowded real fast. The player who offers the most value and is most expendable is Dyami Brown. Brown has traits other teams covet , including great vertical speed, ever-improving hands, and NFL experience, with the ability to step into larger roles after injury. Washington has younger receivers ready to contribute behind Brown who would also benefit from a clearer path into the rotation. Guys like Jaylin Lane and Jaden Bradley have shown flashes in camp, with Bradley being taken under Terry McLaurin 's wing early on. The Commanders will likely not get a lot in return, but a late-round pick, or even a decent pick swap or decent interior line help, would be better than just cutting him.
Jordan Magee represents a similar situation
in an even more crowded room. Washington has stacked their linebackers with Frankie Luvu
, Sonny Styles
, and Leo Chenal
, yet the younger guys in the middle, Ale Kaho
and Kain Medrano
, compete directly with Magee, and each has critical special teams roles. That's not to say Magee couldn't find a role on special teams
as well. Washington does not have to be eager to move him for the trade idea to make sense; it just has to believe another linebacker combination fits its final 53 better. If Peters gets the sense another club would claim or pursue Magee after cuts, it makes more sense to explore a trade before giving that team the chance to get him for free.
Brown and Magee are not obvious cuts, and that's exactly why Washington should at least explore the market before making a final decision. If Peters believes either player will lose the numbers game at his position, getting a late-round pick, moving up in a future round, or finding help somewhere like the interior offensive line would be better than simply letting that value walk out the door. Final cuts are about building the best 53-man roster possible
, and sometimes that means turning a player you no longer have room for into something the team needs more.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as 2 Commanders Bubble Players Washington Should Shop Before Final Cuts .
