Commanders Praise ‘Win Now’ Mentality After Bold Trade for $97 Million CB

With one move, the Washington Commanders made the biggest statement of the NFL trade deadline — it’s winning time in the nation’s capital.

One day after the Commanders sent the NFL in a tizzy by trading for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the reaction from the players on the current roster was one of admiration for the front office for making the bold move.

The Saints sent Lattimore, a 4-time Pro Bowler, to the Commanders along with a 2025 fifth round pick in exchange for a 2025 third round pick, 2025 fourth round pick and 2025 fifth round pick.

The Commanders are 7-2 and in first place in the NFC East Division — their best start to a regular season since 1996.

“We want to win, and we want to win now,” Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner told ESPN’s John Keim on November 6. “It was cool for them to do that.”

Lattimore might not be available for the Commanders right away, as he’s nursing a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Saints’ loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.

The Commanders return to action in Week 10 against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by a Thursday Night Football road game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11 then back-to-back home games against the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans before a bye in Week 14.

Lattimore One of NFL’s Top Trade Targets

Both the Commanders and Lattimore were listed as “winners” at the NFL trade deadline by Bleach Report’s Maurice Moton on November 6.

“Star cornerback Marshon Lattimore no longer has to worry about a complete rebuild in New Orleans. He’s headed toward greener pastures in Washington to suit up for a playoff-contending Commanders squad with cap flexibility,” Moton wrote. “Lattimore’s contract doesn’t include guaranteed money beyond 2024, so with strong performances over the next few months, he could position himself for a payday in the 2025 offseason.”

In September 2021, Lattimore cashed in with a whopping, 5-year, $97.6 million contract extension — it’s not hard to envision him becoming one of the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks once again if he helps the Commanders make a playoff run.

Washington might look at Lattimore as a fix to one of their biggest draft snafus in recent years — they took Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft but he’s yet to develop into a full-time starter.

Lattimore Elite CB For Most of Last Decade

Lattimore was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and made his first Pro Bowl that same season with a career-high interceptions in just 13 games. It was the first of 4 Pro Bowl nods for Lattimore, who has 15 career interceptions through his first 7 seasons.

Injuries have been an issue for Lattimore in recent years. He missed 10 games with a lacerated kidney in 2022 and missed 7 games with an ankle injury in 7 games.

Once he’s healthy, Lattimore becomes a plug-and-play CB1 starter for the Commanders opposite fourth-year cornerback Benjamin St.-Juste, a third round pick out of Minnesota in 2021.

For all the talk that’s come to pass about the Commanders needing to improve their defense, they’ve been pretty good through the first half of the season. They’re 14th in the NFL in team defense and fifth in passing defense headed into Week 10.