Adam Peters made some serious moves throughout his first offseason as Washington Commanders general manager. This was a monumental project to take on, but he maximized every available resource to inject the roster with some much-needed life during the opening stage of his vast rebuild.
Peters came out of his first recruitment period with untold credit. He strengthened almost every position group without jeopardizing long-term financial flexibility. There's a legitimate strategy in place, although not every major personnel flaw is going to be solved in one fell swoop.
The Commanders had a bounty of assets at their disposal during the 2024 NFL Draft after trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young. They took Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall - which was Peters' desired path from a long way out. Day 2 saw some frantic activity from the respected front office figure. This also included a polarizing trade with a division rival.
Commanders draft trade with the Eagles already looks like good business
To the surprise of most, the Commanders struck a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. For those looking for a refresher, here were the terms that tempted Peters into dealing with the enemy.
The Eagles went up for defensive back Cooper DeJean following his dramatic slide out of the first round. Some Commanders fans thought he fit the profile of what Dan Quinn is looking for defensively. Whether he was considered or not isn't known, but Peters felt the deal was too good to turn down.
It's extremely early days, but the controversial trade is already being justified. DeJean's participation at Eagles camp is in jeopardy after the former Iowa star suffered a hamstring complication that is expected to keep him out for three weeks. It's not the end of the world, but it means he's playing catch-up until further notice.
Hamstring complications are tricky for those in the secondary. The positions need quick-twitch movements, lightning-fast reactions, and explosiveness. The Eagles should err on the side of caution with DeJean and must not put him into the lineup until he's 100 percent ready.
This is the latest frustrating health problem DeJean must overcome. He fractured his left fibula over his final campaign with the Hawkeyes. It kept him out of testing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, but fears were alleviated to a certain extent after the player turned on the style at his pro day. However, it wasn't enough for someone to gamble their first-rounder on the prospect.
It remains to be seen whether to not this issue will impact DeJean's ability to make an immediate contribution. But it makes the Commanders' decision smarter, especially considering what they took with the haul received.
- No. 50 overall: Mike Sainristil (CB)
- No. 53 overall: Ben Sinnott (TE)
- No. 161 overall: Dominique Hampton (S)
All three aforementioned rookies made an imposing start over early workouts. Sainristil and Sinnott are expected to play leading roles right out of the gate. Hampton could also impact the rotation if the same trend continues when things get tougher over camp.
Peters knows what he's doing. He's more than ready for this opportunity after playing a leading role in the San Francisco 49ers' rise into perennial contention. He also proved by trading with the Eagles during his first draft that nothing is off-limits.
DeJean is young enough to get back and thrive. This complication makes it tougher, but all hope is not lost by any stretch of the imagination.
