Washington Commanders’ Trade Deadline Acquisition Shapes up the Defense and NFC East
Commanders Acquired Four-Time Pro Bowler
The Washington Commanders made a huge splash at the NFL’s trade deadline by acquiring four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore played his first eight NFL seasons for the New Orleans Saints and will finally find his second pro football home at Northwest Stadium. The former Ohio State Buckeye is still in the prime of his career at just 28 years old and the Commanders will have him under contract until 2026. This season, Lattimore has accumulated 30 tackles and two passes defended.
Compensation Includes Pick from Ridgeway Trade
The Commanders traded a 2025 third, fourth, and sixth-round pick in exchange for Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick. The sixth-round pick that the Commanders traded came from a previous trade from the two teams where Washington traded John Ridgeway III and a seventh-round pick to New Orleans for that sixth-rounder. Now, the Commanders have six picks in the upcoming 2025 draft. They have one pick in every single round except the fourth since they had two third and sixth-round picks before this deal.
Lattimore’s Injury History Could Cause Concern
In four of Lattimore’s first five seasons, he earned a Pro Bowl nod. However, in the previous two seasons, Lattimore wasn’t selected to any Pro Bowls due to his inability to stay on the field. In 2022, he missed 10 games due to a lacerated kidney and the Saints put him on injured reserve in 2023 due to an ankle injury. This season, he’s missed two games due to injury; he missed Week Two with a hip injury and Week Nine with a hamstring injury. The Commanders will have to monitor his health to see how he’s progressing.
Washington’s Pass Defense Gets Even Better
This season, Washington’s passing defense has been solid. The team has allowed 184 passing yards per game, fifth-fewest in the league. In particular, the last three games for the secondary have been impressive. The defense has allowed a total of 352 passing yards over that span, leading to the defense allowing only 14.7 points per game during their three-game win streak. The rich will get richer as Lattimore will join the fantastic group of defensive backs that includes: Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil, Noah Igbinoghene, Jeremy Chinn, and Quan Martin.
Eagles Still Have Shot for NFC East Title
The only team posing a threat to Washington’s first NFC East title since 2020 is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are in the midst of a four-game winning streak and their offense appears to have finally found their footing. However, those wins have been over teams that have a combined record of 10-26, so the Week Eleven matchup against the Commanders will be a good litmus test to see how good the team really is. Washington’s addition of Lattimore seems to show a major push to close out this division once and for all. While this acquisition will certainly bolster their passing defense, the Eagles still have a good shot to take the division given their powerful rushing attack going against Washington’s bottom-five run defense.
