The Washington Commanders season is approaching, an exciting time as they look to improve upon their 4-13 record from a season ago. With new head coach Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and more, the hope is for the Commanders to be a better team.
However, still in a rebuilding process, the Commanders could struggle again at times. If so, they have veterans who could help a contending team. The Commanders could look to trade some of those players to help build their draft capital and land young talent in future drafts.
Of those players is star edge rusher Jonathan Allen, who Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report predicted to be traded to the Houston Texans before the season starts.
“The Houston Texans are in the perfect spot to get aggressive with trades. Just look at what they did to acquire Stephon Diggs this offseason. With C.J. Stroud in just the second year of a rookie contract, the Texans have plenty of cap flexibility to add some expensive veterans. They’ve already shown they understand that by trading for Diggs and signing Danielle Hunter this offseason,” Ballentine wrote on August 31. “They could take it a step further by targeting Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in a trade…
“From the Commanders perspective, the biggest goal right now is to put the best offense on the field with Jayden Daniels. They paid Daron Payne this offseason and drafted Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round of this draft. Continuing to pay that kind of premium at defensive tackle might not be the wisest move for a rebuilding roster.”
Allen is Excited About the Commanders’ Future
Allen had publicly expressed his frustration with the Washington Commanders in the past, but it sounds like he’s changed his stance. With many changes for the Commanders over the past two years, Allen seems happy with their moves to improve the organization.
“I love the coaching staff, I love the direction we’re moving in, I love the way we’re working,” Allen said, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press in May. “It has truly been reinvigorating and just so fun to come to work every day. This is literally just a dream job right now.”
He admitted that last year was tough but is ready for the future.
“We just talked about what we want this thing to look like, and I’m on board with it,” Allen said. “Obviously I’m emotional, and last year was tough. But after time moves on, you learn from the past and get ready for the future and I’m super excited about what we’ve done.”
Allen Would Help the Texans
While Allen has changed his stance on the situation, the Washington Commanders could still look to move him if they continue to struggle. Playing for the Houston Texans would allow him to compete for a Super Bowl, which he could welcome.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection posted the fewest sacks since 2020 last season with 5.5 and the fewest tackles of his career outside his rookie season.
However, that could’ve been due to the Commanders’ defense being one of the worst units in the NFL, allowing the most points per game with over 30 points allowed per contest.
If Allen were traded to the Texans, he’d join a loaded defense, giving him a chance to excel next to others.
