This trade should actually signal the alarms of Cowboys fans.
It was nothing short of surprising when Dan Quinn was hired as the Washington Commanders' head coach. Quinn seemed destined to return to his old stomping grounds in Seattle, but that dream came off the trails when the Seahawks hired Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
The Commanders had their sights set on Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but Johnson surprisingly withdrew his name from consideration to return to Detroit for another season. That was really a driving force in Washington landing on Quinn.
Alongside new general manager Adam Peters, the former Cowboys' DC has presided over an extensive makeover. The Commanders have spent nearly $300 million this offseason, including a lofty $178 million on free agents, which is the fourth-most of any team.
Despite the spending spree, Quinn and Peters' work rebuilding Washington's roster is far from finished. The team doesn't necessarily need any more help on offense that isn't along the offensive line, but Quinn is suddenly primed to make a blockbuster trade thanks in part to his rookie quarterback.
Commanders trading for Brandon Aiyuk should scare Cowboys fans
In a recent conversation with former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels, star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk revealed that the 49ers "don't want me back." San Francisco's front office has dismissed the idea of trading Aiyuk, but they've so far been unwilling to meet Aiyuk's demands.
It's more likelier than ever that Aiyuk gets traded, and Quinn's Commanders are regarded as a realistic landing spot. Not only are Daniels and Aiyuk former teammates, but Peters was the 49ers' assistant GM when they drafted Aiyuk in 2020 with the No. 25 overall pick.
The Commanders aren't in dire straits are wide receiver, but Terry McLaurin is only signed through 2025 and 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson only had 49 catches for 518 yards last season and missed five games as a rookie due to injury.
McLaurin makes $23 million per year, but a handful of teams, including the Eagles, Dolphins, Buccaneers and Texans, pay multiple wide receivers north of $20 million annually. Even with spending close to $180 million in free agency, Washington has the third-most cap space in the league. They'll have the fourth-most room in 2025 and their cap is extremely healthy beyond that as well.
The Commanders have been an afterthought for some time, but they added a ton of talent this offseason and are (seemingly) back to being a functional organization now that Dan Snyder no longer owns the team.
Aiyuk is already a top-10 receiver at the young age of 26. Washington isn't far away from being competitive again. Adding Aiyuk would only expedite that process. The Cowboys shouldn't want him anywhere near the division.
