49ers-Commanders Chase Young Trade Is Latest NFL Example Of Rich Getting Richer, Poor Getting Poorer
There are words for what's happening with the Washington Commanders today: Fire sale.
The Commanders are trading defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers, a source confirmed moments ago for OutKick. The news was first reported by FOX Sports.
The 49ers are giving Washington a 2024 third-round pick for Young.
This trade of Washington's 2020 first-round draft pick comes mere minutes after the team's trade of Montez Sweat, their 2019 first-round draft pick, to the Chicago Bears. That trade from one struggling team to another raised some eyebrows around the NFL.
Commanders Trade Not One But Two Stars
This trade from one struggling team to a team with Super Bowl aspirations is another matter.
The Commanders also talked to teams about trading backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Multiple teams were in contact with the team about Brissett, including the Minnesota Vikings, who balked at the asking price and traded for Josh Dobbs instead. Ultimately, Brissett was not traded.
It's going to be interesting hearing what Washington coach Ron Rivera thinks about all this talent leaving his building in a season his team is floundering and his job could be on the line when it's all said and done.
Chances are Rivera will be a good soldier and say this was for the good of the team or something similar. And maybe it will be after this season. (Not really).
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Chase Young #99 of the Washington Football Team looks on prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at FedExField on September 12, 2021 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Commanders DE Cupboard Bare After Young Trade
But this season the trades leave the Commanders with the following defensive ends now that their two starting defensive ends are gone:
Efe Obada.
KJ Henry.
Andre Jones Jr.
Casey Toohill
James Smith-Williams.
Sweat and Young had combined for 11.5 sacks in eight games. The five guys remaining have combined for 5 sacks.
So none of this is about the rest of this year for the Commanders. Bye, 2023 season.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after sacking Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants during the first quarter in the game at Levi's Stadium on September 21, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Niners DL Seems Dominant With Young Addition
The stunning thing is the Commanders are loading up on good but not great draft picks. They turned two potential cornerstone players into a second- and third-round pick.
That is not what one might call awesome return on an investment.
And what about the other side of the deal?
Well, my goodness, the 49ers get a bye week pick-me-up that's for sure. That club has lost three consecutive games and there have been questions about the production of star defensive end Nick Bosa.
Bosa held out the entire offseason and training camp before signing the biggest contract ever for a defensive player -- which was for $170 million.
But Bosa, effective in getting QB pressures so far this season, has been limited to only three sacks in eight games. So not exactly dominant.
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 11: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 and General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers talk on the field prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Vikings 27-10. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Niners GM John Lynch Doing Great Work
But now?
Well, the 49ers defensive line that general manager John Lynch has built stacks up as dominant:
DE Chase Young
DT Javon Hargrave
DT Arik Armstead
DE Nick Bosa.
Randy Gregory, Clelin Ferrell, Kevin Givens and Javon Kinlaw are good in reserve.
Jeepers.
And now a lesson in why some teams win and some are perennial wanna-be clubs:
The 49ers understand Young has durability issues. They also understand he may leave in free agency after the season.
They're a team with a lot of big salaries (Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Fred Warner and Hargrave) and are actually over the projected cap for 2024. Overthecap estimates they'll be $7 million over and must address that before the new league year.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Chase Young #99 of the Washington Football Team warms up before the start of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on September 13, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
49ers Insulated From Chase Young Departure
But if Young leaves for a big free agency contract elsewhere, that would put the 49ers in line for a compensatory pick that could be as high as a third-rounder. So the club is giving up a third-round pick to acquire Young for the remainder of this season and could get back what?
A third-round compensatory pick.
The truly crazy thing is the 49ers are also projected to get a third-round compensatory pick for losing OT Mike McGlinchey and another third-round compensatory pick for losing personnel man Ran Carthon to Tennessee and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to Houston.
(Yes, since 2020 the NFL policy has been any team that loses diverse candidates to promotions gets compensatory picks in two or three drafts and the 49ers are in that cycle now).
So, worst-case scenario for San Francisco, they are renting Young for a pick they're going to replace anyway.
The Commanders could have done the same.
They could have kept Young. And losing him in free agency, they could have been awarded a future compensatory pick.
That obviously wasn't the direction they wished to take. They wished to take the fire sale path on the NFL's trade deadline day.