Commanders put trust in current talent over draft picks with recent moves
By Tyler Reed
The Washington Commanders are the new home of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the 49ers sent Samuel to Washington in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
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The move for Samuel is not the only aggressive move the Commanders have made recently. Late last season, the franchise acquired Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints for a third-, fourth-, and sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Assuming the 5th round pick from Washington to San Francisco is in 2025, it will be pick 148. That was acquired in the Marshon Lattimore trade from New Orleans.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 1, 2025
The net deal would then be: Commanders get Lattimore and Deebo Samuel for a 2025 3rd, 4th and 6th rounder.
It is clear the Commanders have one thing in mind: win now. Building the team through drafting the future has long been the way teams want to build their teams.
However, the Commanders are giving up a lot of that so-called future for names that have already established themselves to be good players.
The pick used in the trade for Samuel was the pick the Commanders received during the trade for Lattimore last fall.
So, in reality, the team is giving up just three picks in this year's draft compared to four. It will be a few years before anyone knows if this is the right move.
The Commanders know what they have in quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, getting the most out of Daniels during his rookie contract is key, which is why the recent moves by the franchise are starting to make a lot of sense.
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