It's the trade of the day so far, as the Washington Commanders sent a third-round pick, fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a fifth-round pick and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
The Saints selling pieces was somewhat expected. They have now lost seven straight games after starting the season 2-0, which led to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen this week. As for the Commanders, they are off to a surprising 7-2 start, meaning general manager Adam Peters is out to improve his team so it can reach its ceiling with rookie phenom Jayden Daniels.
Let's attempt to grade this trade. First, here are the full trade details once again:
Terms
- Commanders receive: Marshon Lattimore, fifth-round pick
- Saints receive: third-round pick, fourth-round pick, sixth-round pick
Commanders: A-
The first thing to note here is that the trade details are not accurate at face value. The sixth-round pick going to the Saints is actually their own pick, because it was originally sent to Washington for defensive tackle John Ridgeway III at roster cutdown day.
There are reasons to be a bit wary of Lattimore since he hasn't played more than 10 games in a season since 2021, and has already missed two games this season due to injury -- including Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers due to a hamstring injury. It's even hard to imagine Lattimore is 100% healthy right now. Still, I love this trade because Washington realizes its window is "open," meaning Peters is going to be aggressive in adding pieces. Also, keep in mind that Lattimore is not some rental like DeAndre Hopkins or Diontae Johnson. He's under contract through 2026!
No one expected Washington to be sitting at 7-2 entering Week 10, and it's because of the impact Daniels has had on the offense. However, the Commanders don't boast an elite defense, which is why Washington brought in an established, veteran cornerback who can be a leader on that side of the ball. Plus, I think it's very possible Lattimore himself could benefit from this change of scenery, working with Dan Quinn in a locker room with good energy.
Saints: B
Credit the Saints for selling pieces to acquire some draft capital when it's exactly what they should be doing. The Saints are $61.5 million over the projected cap next year (no other team is more than $4 million over the cap), so with this move, they shed some money as New Orleans prepares for a rebuild.
Unfortunately, the 2024 season is virtually over for the Saints. They don't have a head coach, have uncertainty at the quarterback position and have some money issues to deal with this offseason. Trading Lattimore feels like the right thing to do, even though he's a franchise legend.
