Washington currently sits at 1-4-1 and in the basement of the weak NFC East. Despite this, they are just two games out of first with a very manageable eight games coming up.
General manager Adam Peters
is currently under a lot of heat for how he has handled roster building over the past two seasons and his much-maligned choice at head coach in Dan Quinn, who currently sits on the hottest seat in the NFL coaching ranks.A lot of the criticism surrounding Peters has come from not adequately surrounding Jayden
Daniels with the necessary pieces to succeed while he’s still on his rookie contract. This summer, he and Quinn lied for weeks to fans about the state of Washington’s center position, only to watch his prognostication go up in flames as the team benched his “wonder boy” center Nick Allegretti for poor play. Sticking with Chris Paul at left guard has proven to be a poor decision and the lack of depth at offensive tackle that forced Brandon Colman to man the blindside has been a complete DISASTER!
A we approach the 2026 NFL Trade deadline on November 10th at 4pm ET, Peters has a chance to play hero for this struggling team.
Will he rise to the occasion, or will he be content to smolder in the ashes of the fire he set?
Trading for Quenton Nelson
Quenton Nelson is rumored to be on the trade block as the deadline approaches. The Colts, who are 2-4, are said to be in full-blown sell mode and have a few stars, including Nelson, who are said to be available for the right compensation.
Nelson is a 30-year-old, six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler who is regarded as one of the best guards in the NFL. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and has missed just three games in his eight-year career.
In 2022, Nelson signed a four-year, $80M contract extension. He’s in the final year of that deal and the Colts will need to pony-up some cash if they want to keep him from hitting free agency. Seeing as how they may be looking to hit the reset button, that may be unlikely.
How he can help Washington
Some will say that 30 is old, but for offensive linemen, many of whom can play at an elite level well into their mid-thirties, Nelson is still in his prime. He’s been a pillar of that Indianapolis offense line, missing just four games over his career, so there are no current injury concerns.
The Colts are rumored to be looking for a first-round pick in return for Nelson, but many have opined that a higher-second rounder could secure his services.
Commanders GM Adam Peters hasn’t exactly knocked the cover off the ball with his second-round picks. He’s missed badly on Johnny Newton, Mike Sainristil and Ben Sinnott, and while Trey Amos showed promise as a rookie, he’s had a hard time staying healthy. Using a second-rounder to land Nelson does a few things for this struggling offense:
- It secures left guard (a position Washington has struggled to find consistency and solid play) for the foreseeable future.
- Nelson and Sam Cosmi give Washington arguable the league’s best guard tandem.
- With the return of Laremy Tunsil, the Commanders would have THREE Blues along the offensive line.
- Most importantly, he’s provides protection for Jayden Daniels and should make life easier in the rushing attack.
Since he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2024, fans have literally BEGGED to surround Jayden with pieces, so he won’t have to play Superman every time he takes the field. Currently, through six weeks, Daniels is the most pressured quarterback in the NFL in time to throw. Trading for Nelson could help turn this around.
Trading for Brian Thomas Jr.
Brian Thomas Jr. is a 6’3” 210-pound athletic freak at wide receiver.
At just 24 years old, Thomas has the height/weight/speed combo that teams salivate over. As a rookie in Jacksonville, he went for 87-1,282-10. His stats fell off significantly in 2025 under head coach Liam Coen, and there were rumors he’d fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. Through six games this season, Thomas has just nine receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. That offense now runs through Parker Washington, and it’s clear that Thomas needs a change of scenery.
How he can help Washington
After losing Terry McLaurin to a knee injury, Washington doesn’t have a true deep threat to help keep defenses honest. With 4.33 speed and the coveted size to boot, Thomas gives David Blough’s offense just that.
He was taken 23rd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft so he still has two-and-a-half years of team control on his rookie deal. He played with Jayden Daniels at LSU, and the two are friends and have some prior chemistry.
The rumor is the Jaguars are looking for a higher day-three pick in exchange for Thomas, but they are also in need of help along the interior defense line. There may be a opportunity to trade Daron Payne for Brian Thomas Jr. in a straight-up player-for-player deal. The Jaguars are looking to make a deep playoff push and they are not keen on trading Thomas Jr. to an AFC contender.
Even before the injury, it was looking very unlikely that McLaurin would return to Washington in 2027. Diggs will be a free agent and it not part of the team’s long-term plans. That leaves just Antonio Williams, Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey as the team’s top targets in 2027.
Thomas has the talent which we all saw as a rookie. That doesn’t just disappear at 24 years of age. Reuniting him with his former LSU Tigers teammate could give him the chance to reenergize his career and take advantage of his many gifts.
These are just two potential moves that Adam Peters could look to make at the trade deadline. However, based on Washington’s team needs and potential compensation having to be moved, these may make the most sense.
Let’s discuss further in the comments section.
