The Washington Commanders are viewed as one of the top teams in the NFC heading into the 2025 season.
After shocking the entire NFL last year by finishing the regular season with a (12-5) record and making a run to the NFC Championship game, the Commanders aren’t flying under the radar heading into the new season.
When the schedule was released, Washington is slated to play in six primetime games, which ties with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most in the NFL.
It’s obvious that a lot of the Commanders success last year — and the optimism surrounding the team’s future —has to do with Jayden Daniels as their starting QB.
Daniels never looked like a rookie during the 2024 campaign and consistently elevated the play of those around him. The former Heisman trophy winner put together a historic rookie season, breaking several records while running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Most NFL analysts don’t foresee a drop off in his second NFL season. The Commanders were able to keep OC Kliff Kingsbury, which is critical for Daniels’ development. The Washington brass has also spent all offseason trying to add weapons and talent around him.
The first big move was trading for Deebo Samuel. Last season, Daniels didn’t have a dynamic weapon on offense outside of Terry McLaurin and Samuel now gives them a versatile WR who can be used in multiple ways.
Washington then pulled off a blockbuster trade to land 5-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a deal with the Texans. Nobody predicted this move, but it’s clear that protecting Daniels has been a focal point for the Commanders this offseason. They used their first round pick in the draft to select former Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who should play opposite of Tunsil on the right side of the offensive line.
Everything is falling in place for the Commanders to make another run in 2025, but there is one lingering storyline that fans are keeping a close eye on.
McLaurin, who had over 1,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season, has skipped both OTA sessions as he seeks a new contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Washington will ultimately get a dal done with the star WR, but as each day passes, speculation about a potential trade only grows.
Bleacher Report believes the Commanders could trade McLaurin to the New England Patriots for a 2026 second-round pick and tight end Austin Hooper:
The New England Patriots did an incredible job of improving the supporting cast of second-year quarterback Drake Maye this offseason.
In addition to adding a proven head coach in Mike Vrabel, New England added the likes of center Garrett Bradbury, right tackle Morgan Moses, rookie left tackle Will Campbell, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, wideout Mack Hollins, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and rookie receiver Kyle Williams.
With all of those additions, could the Patriots still find room for McLaurin? Absolutely.
Diggs was signed to be the No. 1 receiver but comes to New England with plenty of question marks. He’s coming off of a torn ACL and has already caused an off-field distraction with a certain viral boat video. Hollins had a few big plays with Buffalo last season but has rarely been more than a third or fourth receiver.
McLaurin, meanwhile, showed last season that he can be a tremendous asset for a young, developing quarterback. He didn’t have the best statistical season of his career when paired with Daniels, but the two were an incredibly efficient duo—McLaurin provided a quarterback rating of 133.0 when targeted.
While New England should be better this season than during last year’s four-win campaign, its second-round selection is still likely to be fairly high. The Patriots could potentially solidify a deal by throwing in backup tight end Austin Hooper.
Ballentine recently named tight end as Washington’s second-biggest need. 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott remains unproven, while starter Zach Ertz will turn 35 in November. Hooper isn’t exactly young, but he’s nearly four years younger than Ertz and has two Pro Bowls on his resume.
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