The Commanders should move heaven and earth to trade for Myles Garrett
The Washington Commanders arrived well ahead of schedule this past season, led by a truly sensational rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels.
With the future in full focus now, Washington's offense feels pretty complete, even if future luxury additions feel likely in the passing game.
The defense will undoubtedly get reinforcements in the draft and free agency, the latter for which the Commanders are equipped well with roughly $78 million in cap space. Washington has an excellent path this offseason to shore up its roster and contend for the years to come with Daniels at the helm.
We're sure a good plan is in place; the Commanders will be a popular place for NFL free agents and a good place for 2025 NFL Draft picks to land.
However, Monday's news of Cleveland Brown superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett requesting a trade should change the entirety of Washington's offseason plans.
Landing Garrett in a trade should become the primary objective for the Commanders; the team should move heaven and earth to get him.
When you think about the game that Washington wants to play, time of possession becomes paramount. The team was ninth in overall time of possession last season, with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury scheming up a slippery offense that can absolutely devastate you in the short game and bleed the clock with ease before cashing it in with points.
Daniels can burn you with his legs, and his cool-headed decision-making allows him to scan the field and take intermediate yardage to set up those third-and-shorts where he can just scramble for the first down. Opposing defenses know how it goes, and we're sure they dread it.
However, that style of offense is absolutely heightened by a defense that can get opposing offenses off the field quickly. The best way to do that is with a suffocating pass rush. Enter Garrett.
Having a truly generational game-wrecker coming off the edge for the Commanders would make both their defense and offense better.
Washington already has a pair of excellent defensive tackles in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne that can cause problems in the middle, and the team will probably bring back free agent defensive end Dante Fowler to pair with Dorance Armstrong coming off the edge.
Adding Garrett to that group would turn a stout defensive front into a horrifying one for opposing offensive lines, as Garrett's explosive playing style would lead to big moments on its own and open up opportunities for others on the defensive line once Garrett inevitably draws extra attention.
Washington coach Dan Quinn saw the benefits of having a superstar pass-rusher while coaching Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys. If the Commanders can leverage an enticing trade package to secure Garrett, Quinn would know exactly what to do with him.
Garrett would raise the entire floor and ceiling for this defense and make the Commanders a possible NFC favorite for next year. If there is any team that should do whatever it takes to get Garrett if Cleveland is open to a trade, it's the Commanders.
The stars could align for this team in ways it hasn't in literal decades. Garrett wants a contender? Well, here they are, and we bet they'd be happy to have him.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Commanders should move heaven and earth to trade for Myles Garrett
