Commanders could fix two major offensive weaknesses with bold Breece Hall and Jerry Jeudy trade deadline moves
With Terry McLaurin out for the season and Washington’s backfield facing questions, two proposed deals in the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator offer potential answers before the deadline.
The Washington Commanders have an opportunity to address two major offensive problems before the NFL trade deadline.
With Terry McLaurin out for the season and the running back room facing questions, Washington could use help at both positions. The upcoming bye week provides a chance for the front office to evaluate its options.
I used the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator to explore two hypothetical moves: acquiring Breece Hall from the New York Jets and Jerry Jeudy from the Cleveland Browns.
The simulator evaluates proposed trades and estimates which team receives more value. That doesn’t mean either deal is being discussed or that another front office would accept it.
But the results offer an interesting starting point for how Washington could improve its offense without surrendering its most valuable draft picks.
Trade 1: Washington lands Breece Hall from the Jets
Start with the backfield. The way the Commanders have patched together their running back room is not substantial enough for the future of this team. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a jump ball to be back next year. Austin Ekeler was a desperate signing. Rachaad White and Jeremy McNichols are performing, but neither one is the future.
What Washington needs is a difference maker. The New York Jets have one stuck in perpetual Jets purgatory. Breece Hall should not exit his prime in New York without a real shot at the playoffs.
The trade: Crosby-Merritt and a fifth-round pick to the Jets for Hall.
Straight up, Crosby-Merritt for Hall is a big Commanders win in the simulator. But I’m a fair GM, so I went looking for the pick that tips it back toward the Jets. A third-round pick? Jets win big, no shot. A fourth? Still a big Jets win, and Washington isn’t giving up a fourth this year. A fifth-round pick leans Jets. That’s the sweet spot.
Tell me you don’t like that. It’s an immediate upgrade, and this team hasn’t been great at drafting in the late rounds anyway. Everyone wanted to give Croskey-Merritt a fair shake, no one more than me. But if this offense wants to be dynamic, it needs a dynamic running back who wasn’t salvaged from the seventh round. That’s Hall.
Look at Kansas City. Kenneth Walker III is the best running back Patrick Mahomes has played with, and look at the immediate success. Hall could be Jayden Daniels’ Walker, the best back he’s ever shared a backfield with, and he could provide years of good running back play. Washington can keep White and McNichols around him. The Commanders already told us they aren’t going to be a power running team when they waived Kaytron Allen. Fine. That doesn’t mean they should keep middling around with a mediocre room.
IThe biggest obstacle isn’t whether Hall would improve Washington. It’s whether the Jets would have any incentive to accept this offer.
A simulator can assign value to Croskey-Merritt and a fifth-round pick, but New York would also have to consider Hall’s contract, its own backfield plans and whether it could get a better return elsewhere.
That’s why this is a trade I’d explore rather than one I’d expect to happen.
For Washington, the appeal is obvious: Hall could provide a more dynamic rushing threat alongside Jayden Daniels and potentially become part of the offense beyond this season, depending on his contract situation.
Trade 2: Jerry Jeudy brings receiver depth after the McLaurin loss
The Commanders cannot replace Terry McLaurin with one player, but they can add another proven receiving option to an offense that suddenly needs more dependable targets.
Jerry Jeudy would give Washington another experienced receiver alongside Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams and Treylon Burks, assuming the latter remains available.
The simulator offers an interesting starting point for a hypothetical deal with Cleveland. A fourth-round pick rates close to fair in the version I tested, while a fifth-round pick produces a more favorable result for Washington.
The harder question is whether Cleveland would actually move Jeudy for that compensation.
His contract, recent production and role in the Browns’ offense would all factor into that decision. Washington would also need to determine whether his skill set complements its existing receivers rather than simply adding another player who needs targets.
Still, given McLaurin’s absence, Jeudy is the kind of established receiving option I’d want the Commanders to investigate.
Jeudy by himself is obviously a big Commanders win in the simulator, so I hunted for the price. A second-round pick? Browns win big, no shot. A third? Same story. A fourth-round pick registers as a fair trade, with the Browns holding a 10-point edge. Bump it to a fifth and it leans Commanders.
Personally, I do either one. A fourth or a fifth for a former first-round pick whose usage is down, who doesn’t seem to love Cleveland, and who doesn’t look like a great fit there is a steal. In Washington, he could immediately cure some woes.
