Headlining trade deadline day by giving up three draft picks for a four-time Pro Bowler at a position of need shouldn't deter the Washington Commanders from still raiding the free agency market. This bears more significance when considering an NFC East rival has just made another capable defensive back available.
There's also room for a young defensive tackle who can help fill in along a line depleted by injuries. He's an undrafted player capable of playing multiple techniques upfront.
Former Giants cornerback could be a useful fit for Commanders
The Commanders should have taken notice when the New York Giants dumped Nick McCloud. Even after the deal to land Marshon Lattimore.
Lattimore is the shutdown cover man on the outside the Commanders need. Head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. can now feel free to push the blitz button more often. Safe in the knowledge they have a cornerback capable of matching up in single coverage.
His arrival isn't good news for everybody. Like Emmanuel Forbes Jr., the 2023 first-round bust who's never made the grade and could be set for the chop.
General manager Adam Peters hasn't been shy about jettisoning premium picks of the old regime. Just ask Jamin Davis, who was sent packing and now finds himself on the Green Bay Packers practice squad.
If Forbes is next to go, there'll be room for a player with McCloud's versatility. The 26-year-old can play outside the numbers and in the slot. He knows how to attack the ball and can even be useful on the blitz.
Adding McCloud also makes sense when Lattimore's presence raises doubts about the status of Noah Igbinoghene. Like Michael Davis, he is another offseason recruit who hasn't always impressed.
Their struggles are another reason why the make-up of Washington's secondary is changing. A moving piece like McCloud would only help the changing picture take shape.
Commanders could use another defensive tackle for depth
The Commanders are still chucking names at the wall to see what sticks at defensive tackle since Jonathan Allen's season-ending injury. Second-round pick Johnny Newton's rapid emergence alongside incumbent Daron Payne means things still look strong at the starting level, but depth remains a concern.
Phidarian Mathis and Sheldon Day have been plugging gaps, but Carl Davis could use some company on the practice squad. Chris Smith would provide it after two games in as many years with the Detroit Lions.
That's not an awe-inspiring CV, but Smith is a 6-foot-1, 305-pounder who fits how Quinn and Whitt like to deploy their linemen. In other words, the former Harvard and Notre Dame man is undersized but quick, active, and versatile.
Smith's got some pass-rush chops, so he could earn a few snaps in a situational role. If nothing else, the 24-year-old would give the Commanders another able body for a defensive line rotation the coaches are using more liberally this season.
Payne and Newton played 44 and 43 snaps respectively during the 27-22 win over the New York Giants in Week 9, according to Pro Football Reference. That meant there were 37 snaps to split between Mathis (20) and Day (17).
Shuttling linemen on and off the field in waves is becoming the hallmark of this defense. It makes sense to keep adding to the mix.
