Jeremy Fowler’s mention of the Washington Commanders as a possible landing spot for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor got attention fast. It should have - but not because it made sense.
The idea feels far-fetched for Washington, and the reason is pretty simple: the Commanders do not look like a team in position to spend premium draft capital on a splashy fix. Their rushing game has fallen short, but using picks to patch that hole with a high-priced back is a steep ask, especially when the roster still needs careful building.
Indianapolis, meanwhile, appears ready to keep moving pieces around. The Colts have already dealt offensive lineman Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, then sent defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick. More changes could come before the November 10 cut-off, and wide receiver Josh Downs has requested a trade.
If Taylor is made available, he would be the headliner. Fowler listed the Commanders, Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos as teams that could check in, but the Colts are not in a mood to simply hand him over.
Taylor’s value is obvious. He has 587 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season, and without him, the Colts would be in a far worse spot. He looks like a yearly lock for 1,000 rushing yards, though that task gets tougher now that Nelson is out of the picture.
For Washington, though, the luxury isn’t there. General manager Adam Peters has been restrained on the trade market, and there’s a clear reason for that.
He went all-in last year and it didn’t work. He also needs to keep resources available for upcoming extensions, while Taylor still has a substantial amount left on the deal he signed during the offseason.
The fit on the field is easy to picture. Taylor lined up next to quarterback Jayden Daniels would give defenses a problem they’d hate to solve. If the Commanders were in a different place in the standings, Peters might take a serious look.
They are not in that place. Washington is 6-16-1 since its conference championship appearance in the first year with head coach Dan Quinn at the helm, and that makes a costly move like this hard to justify.
Even if the Colts decide to listen, they would likely want a second-round pick and more. That kind of return makes sense for a contender that sees itself one player away.
It does not describe the Commanders right now.
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Dan Quinn acknowledged the need to get more from that part of the defense as the Commanders come out of the bye week and turn toward Philadelphia. Facing the Eagles tends to stress every weakness in a defense, and for Washington, the pass rush has become one of the clearest areas where a stronger showing could help define the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Season Is Suddenly Riding On One Huge Jayden Daniels Question
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A lot of that now comes back to Jayden Daniels, because his status shapes everything about how this team is viewed going into the second half of the season. The broader issue is not just the quarterbacks health or availability, but whether Washingtons current roster and coaching setup are good enough to support him in the way a playoff team has to, especially with so much attention on Dan Quinn and the way the front office has assembled the group around its young passer. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Secondary Has One Obvious Missing Piece Before Eagles Week
Washington has a prime NFC East test coming up in Week 8, with the Eagles visiting while Philadelphia works through a wave of injuries that has changed the shape of the matchup. Even with the visitors in a difficult spot after the season-ending loss of Jalen Hurts, the Commanders still have a secondary that will be under the microscope against a division rival that can test coverage in a hurry.
The bigger question is whether Washington has enough at corner to match up cleanly with Philadelphias top weapons, especially when one more impact defender would change the look of the unit in an instant. A glance at the Eagles defensive backfield makes it easy to see why this conversation keeps coming up, because one young corner has already done enough in seven games to make a strong case as the kind of piece any secondary would love to add. [Read more 🡒]