4 surprise cut and trade candidates for the Washington Commanders that could be on the move before Tuesday’s roster cutdown
The Commanders could make some surprising moves before roster cutdowns.
The regular season is right around the corner, and roster cuts are quickly approaching for the Washington Commanders. Every team must cut down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 4:00 p.m. ET, and the Commanders will have a lot of business decisions to make.
We’ve already seen many trades around the league with teams wanting to get a player before they hit the market after being cut. The Commanders have a few players who could be surprise cuts, unless a team offers a trade.
Remember, before there’s outrage, I said SURPRISE. Just like Minnesota Vikings fans were surprised to see Harrison Phillips traded, and the same for the Denver Broncos trading Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints.
RB Jeremy McNichols
It’s well known by now that there are a lot of teams looking for a running back, and Brian Robinson Jr. might not be the only one on the move. The next running back duo for the Commanders looks to be Chris Rodriguez Jr and seventh-round phenom Bill Croskey-Merritt. The Commanders still use Austin Ekeler a lot in the receiving game, and he actually had more receiving yards than Dyami Brown last season.
McNichols had four touchdowns last season and also showed that he’s a reliable pass blocker. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team offered a pick swap or a seventh-round pick for McNichols.
WR K.J. Osborn
The Commanders need more wide receivers to step up when it comes to depth, but maybe the answer isn’t on the roster right now. K.J. Osborn joined the team late last season and hasn’t done much since he arrived, but he’s still a proven receiver in the league, and his former team is looking for help right now.
Osborn had his most productive seasons with the Minnesota Vikings from 2021 to 2023, when he had 158 catches for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns. I don’t have Osborn making the team right now, and getting a late Day 3 pick would be a steal.
CB Jonathan Jones
This is a surprising name to see, and he’s absolutely NOT a cut candidate, but I can see there being a legit trade market for Jonathan Jones, especially for a cornerback-needy team like the Miami Dolphins. The Commanders have four legit corners with Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, rookie Trey Amos, and another young corner in Noah Igbinoghene, who showed he can play last season.
The depth behind them isn’t ideal, but Will Harris can also play corner, and they also signed veteran Antonio Hamilton Sr. The Commanders could fill in if they trade Jones, who can easily start for a lot of teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if teams have already called asking about him.
DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste
This is a tough decision, but I ultimately left Javontae Jean-Baptiste off my recent 53-man roster projection. I still have high hopes for him, but he’s been dealing with an injury for a few weeks now, and he missed the first two preseason games. The preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens could be his final chance.
Coach Dan Quinn named Jean-Baptiste as a second-year player that he’s been impressed with, but he’s missed a lot of time, and there are others in front of him that could keep him off the roster. I have the Commanders keeping 10 defensive linemen, and the edge players are Von Miller, Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Clelin Ferrell, and Jacob Martin. Jean-Baptiste could go to the practice squad.
The Commanders still have several moves to make, but don’t be surprised if these players are traded before the roster cutdown on Tuesday.
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