The Niners' pick sent to Washington for Chase Young is the compensatory pick San Fran got for hiring Ran Carthon, so it'll be a sandwich pick somewhere around 100 – but if the Bears don't improve, and soon, the second-rounder they sent to DC for Montez Sweat will be a Top 40 pick.
And even if it's a little later, with five picks in the top 100 and change, Craig Hoffman believes that a step back today is a step forward for the Commanders' future after the trade deadline.
"Such a monumental day, which marks the Josh Harris restart of the franchise, and ownesrship was reportedly involved in at least some form or fashion here – we'll hear more of just how involved, but there was certainly encouragement to make trades that were better for the long term of this team," Hoffman said. "Realistically, they thought that these deals would help move that along, and I think they are correct."
Not because Young and Sweat aren't excellent players, Craig warns, because they are – but sometimes, you have to sacrifice in a muddier short-term to win the long game.
"Since 2020, the Commanders have not been very good with both of them on the field, and the reality is that this was supposedto be a defense-first team," Hoffman said. "So, no matter how good you think Chase Young or Montez Sweat are, clearly, this team is not good enough with them to justify continuing forward along this path – and they are the two that pay the price as having contracts coming up as the most or the easiest guys to deal."
Add in what is perceived as poor effort at times by Young, and the need to set a culture for the future overrides any middling success this year's team could have had or will have.
And, in Hoffman's eyes, "the Commanders' future got better today."
"There is no strategy that is management proof, just like there is no play that is execution proof, so if they don't hire the right coach and they don't hire the right GM none of this matters – but it would have never mattered," Craig said. "Keeping Chase and Montez would not have mattered, and what you've done now if you're Josh Harris is set your next regime up with a lot of capital to make big bold moves, or stay put and get a lot of good young players that should fit the culture of whatever the next coach wants to be."
Take a listen above to the entire segment!
