The Washington Commanders made one of the biggest trades in this year’s NFL trade deadline.
According to Adam Schefter, Washington is sending DE Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears. Schefter claims that the Bears will give the Commanders a 2024 second-round pick for Sweat.
Montez Sweat and Washington Commanders
Sweat was in the final year of his contract with the Commanders. Recent reports suggested that if Washington lost Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sweat would likely be on the move.
Well, the Commanders did end up losing that game, and that report came to fruition.
Sweat spent five seasons with the Commanders and had 35.5 sacks, 120 solo tackles, and nine forced fumbles. This season, he has 6.5 sacks, 21 solo tackles, and two forced fumbles.
Washington sits with a 3-5 and trails by one game for the final NFC wild-card spot. Even if they do make it in this year’s playoffs, it will likely be an uphill battle to go the distance given their competition.
Chicago Bears Addition
In some ways, it is a little surprising that the Bears made a big acquisition in this year’s NFL trade deadline. They have a 2-6 record and do not appear close to making the playoffs. Plus, they must worry about potentially losing QB Justin Fields for the season.
However, when you look at their salary cap situation, this trade makes more sense. The Bears will have over $110 million in salary cap space this season.
Because of this, they have the luxury of taking on more expensive players such as Sweat. They apparently started using this salary cap space early to improve their defensive line.
Other Potential Movement
Another guy to keep an eye on for the Washington Commanders is Chase Young. Like Sweat, he is also in the final year of his rookie contract.
If the Commanders are going to be full sellers during this trade deadline, they may look to move him as well for draft capital. However, there is a chance that they could try to retain Young and sign him to an extension.
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