Every NFL season there are surprises that nobody saw coming. There's always at least one team that was expected to be a heavyweight that turns out to be a dud, and one team that comes out of nowhere and challenges the established contenders. This year that was the Washington Commanders, who went from 4-13 to 12-5 in the regular season and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game.
Led by former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders look poised to be a serious contender in the NFC for a long time to come. Still, they're going to need to find Daniels more weapons if they're going to get past a team like the Philadelphia Eagles.
With that in mind, a new trade proposal from Bleacher Report has Washington taking a big swing and trading for DK Metcalf.
B/R on Commanders targeting DK Metcalf
"The Commanders could take full advantage by swinging an aggressive trade for DK Metcalf. The Seahawks are in the red when it comes to cap space right now and Metcalf could be the odd man out when it comes to getting an extension in Seattle. This trade would give Daniels one of the league's best receiver duos in Terry McLaurin and Metcalf. It would also make the Commanders that much scarier to the rest of the NFC as Daniels potentially gets even better with another downfield threat to incorporate."
Metcalf may not want to play anywhere but Seattle, but it's hard to think of a better landing spot than D.C. - where he would benefit from creative playcalling from Kliff Kingsbury and not have to carry the offense as he has at times with the Seahawks.
Speaking of the Seahawks, this move would definitely make them a less competitive team in what's likely to be a brutal NFC West race in 2025 - assuming the 49ers bounce back from their injury-plagued season and are once again themselves. That gives Seattle's front office some incentive to hit the reset button - and their salary cap situation is another big factor.
At the moment the team is projected to be $31 million in the red in effective cap space - meaning they're going to have to part with some big pieces to get under the cap. Trading Metcalf after June 1 would free up around $18 million, going a long way towards bridging that gap.
With Metcalf out of the picture, the Seahawks could build their passing offense around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who appears to be their most-capable receiver since Steve Largent.
