Many of the moves the Washington Commanders have made have been on the defensive side of the football. The Commanders allowed the most points in the NFL last season, giving up more than 30 points per game. However, the offense wasn’t necessarily too great either. Names remain on the free agent and potential trade market to improve offensively and none are bigger than Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
When healthy, Jefferson is regarded as the best receiver in football. He posted 1,809 yards in the 2022 season and was well on his way to another 1,500-yard season in 2023 before dealing with an injury. With Kirk Cousins leaving the Vikings, could Jefferson be available? If so, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report writes that the Commanders should be interested. In his proposed trade, Gagnon brings up the second-round picks they own.
“The Washington Commanders aren’t likely to surrender the No. 2 pick this year for Jefferson, especially because they clearly need a quarterback and will have a shot at one of a few potential stars in that spot.
“However, they also have two picks early in the second round and all three of their Day 1/2 selections in 2025. That might present an opportunity for the team to hand that next quarterback a fabulous welcome gift in Jefferson, who could team up with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson to form one of the best receiving groups in the NFL.”
Commanders Offseason Moves
As of now, the Washington Commanders have signed Marcus Mariota to presumably be their backup quarterback and Austin Ekeler, who struggled last season but could help the offense in 2024. That was the two moves for the offense in the early stages of the offseason.
With the No. 2 pick in the draft, it’s expected that the Commanders will draft a quarterback. Adding weapons around whoever they draft should still be a priority and while they did so with Ekeler, a player like Jefferson could turn this offense into something special.
Terry McLaurin has played well for the Commanders, posting 1,000-plus yard seasons in four straight years. If the Commanders could add a true No. 1 next to him, his production could go up. McLaurin would benefit greatly from playing with a player of the Minnesota Vikings receivers caliber.
Will the Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson?
While the idea of landing Jefferson is something that would excite any team in football, it’s uncertain if the Minnesota Vikings will trade him.
The Commanders do have that No. 2 pick, but trading it for a receiver when there’s a clear need for a quarterback doesn’t make sense. Instead, they could interest the Vikings with a future first round pick and other draft compensation.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on March 13 that the Vikings don’t have a plan to trade him.
“The Vikings came close to extending WR Justin Jefferson last offseason. In Indy, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah aggressively rejected the idea of trading the star. Kirk Cousins’ departure hasn’t changed things. The Vikings have no plans to trade Jefferson, sources tell me and @alec_lewis.”
Jefferson might not be available right now, but that could change if the Vikings don’t land a quarterback good enough to compete.
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