Breaking News: Elite 2-Time Pro Bowl Defensive Lineman Joins Green Bay Packers
The Washington Commanders are a good bet to be active in the trade market during the 2024 offseason. The team is coming off a disappointing 4-13 campaign—its worst since 2019—and now have a new general manager in place in Adam Peters.
While Peters’ first task will be finding the organization’s next head coach, he’ll soon get to work on crafting a roster that can contend.
While Washington has nine picks in the 2024 draft—four in the top 67—it could use more to overhaul a pockmarked lineup. Dealing veterans to free up salary-cap space and add more draft capital to the coffers should be a priority for Peters.
Due to this shift in focus, Jonathan Allen, the team’s standout defensive tackle, could be on the way out after seven seasons with the club.
Allen has some of the most trade value on the team after making back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2021-22. While his 5.5 sacks this year were his lowest total since 2020, he still had a strong individual season and appeared in at least 15 games for the seventh straight year.
Allen had openly expressed frustration with how the Commanders were faring during a trying 2023 campaign. He’s previously admitted that despite growing up as a fan of the team in Virginia, he’s given thought to playing elsewhere and wants to be part of a winning franchise. While he hasn’t officially requested a trade, it’s possible he won’t have to if the team implements a full-blown rebuild.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that teams had been inquiring about Allen’s availability leading up to the deadline and noted that Washington could “strip things down to the studs” this spring. With Allen owed just $29.5 million in total over the next two seasons, there should be no shortage of interest if he’s shopped around.
The Green Bay Packers will want to throw their hat into the ring for Allen’s services. While they’ve quickly started flourishing in the post-Aaron Rodgers era, the Packers could use more help on the defensive front. Even on the heels of a strong regular season finish and Wild Card round victory, the Packers still have a real need in the defensive trenches after allowing a lowly 126.3 rushing yards per game and tallying a middling 45 sacks in 2023.