One trade, cut, signing Washington Commanders should make

With a new head coach and general manager, the Commanders would like to avoid another finish in last place in the NFC East. 

With that in mind, here’s a trade, cut and signing Washington should make. 

TRADE: The No. 2 pick 

Washington has lots of options with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the Chicago Bears are sold on Justin Fields, the Commanders could possibly trade up one spot to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

If they prefer someone like LSU’s Jayden Daniels or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, they can still trade back and receive multiple picks, especially if another team covets North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye won’t last beyond the second pick, but Daniels and McCarthy can still be had with a top-10 selection. Williams would be ideal, but if the Bears won’t do business, the Commanders need to shop their first-round selection.

CUT: TE Logan Thomas

The tight end's first year with Washington turned out to be his best when he caught 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. 

Unfortunately, Thomas had just eight touchdowns over the next three years, and with an $8.2M cap hit, there’s no reason for the team to keep the 32-year-old tight end.

The team can save $6.5M with his release and use that money to sign a veteran free agent like the Texans' Dalton Schultz or Seattle’s Noah Fant. With a league-best $83M of cap space available, the Commanders can afford to upgrade the position.

SIGNING: C Tyler Biadasz

Last year, Washington’s Sam Howell took a league-high 65 sacks. They’ll need to do better than that if they plan on replacing him with their first-round pick. 

Biadasz would be an excellent fit for the Commanders. He’s a three-year starter and made the Pro Bowl in 2022. More importantly, new head coach Dan Quinn knows exactly what he’d be getting from the Cowboys center after spending the last three years as a coordinator in Dallas.

Pro Football Focus ranks the former Badger as the fifth-best center available, worth a projected $7M annually for the next three years. At 26, Biadasz still has room to improve, and at a lower cost than some centers, he’d leave room for Washington to improve other positions.