The Washington Commanders could be open to trading the No. 7 overall pick, no matter which team is interested in acquiring it.
Washington GM Adam Peters said he would trade with an NFC East rival, even for his first-round selection, if it would be the right decision for the team.
Adam Peters is Open to an Intradivisonal Trade
The Commanders are, of course, in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL with longstanding and vitriolic regional rivalries between the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.
The Eagles are often interested in moving up on the first day, and Mel Kiper Jr. predicted a Cowboys trade with the Cleveland Browns into the No. 6 pick in his most recent mock draft. But Peters effectively said he would be open for business with his biggest team’s biggest rivals.
“No, I don’t think it impacts it at all,” Peters said when asked about a trade of draft picks with a divisional team. “Obviously, I think there’s more scrutiny with that, but it certainly doesn’t change. You know, the thought process is always, is this the right decision for our team, and if that’s the case, then we’ll do it.”
Of course, certain teams list certain players higher on their draft board than others, meaning the player Washington would have picked at No. 7 could be different than that of Dallas. Plus, the No. 7 overall pick is likely to come with an extremely premium cost, especially for a division rival.
So it’s all about making the Commanders better for Peters.
“It doesn’t really matter what the team is, we got to beat them on Sundays and Mondays and Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays regardless,” Peters said. “To me, that doesn’t make it a huge difference there. It’s just whatever is best for our team.”
The Commanders are Likely to Make the No. 7 Pick
Peters wouldn’t rule out a Thursday-night blockbuster deal for the No. 7 pick. But the Commanders boss made it seem like Washington would not trade out of that selection.
“Yeah, certainly have to be ready to [make the pick]. I would say more likely than not, that would happen,” Peters said of the Commanders making the selection. “But you never know. You never know and it’ll depend on who’s on the board, if a team wants to move up, and then we have to decide if we want to do that. But I would say more likely than not, we’d stay and pick.”
Washington has been linked to a variety of players with its top selection. Kiper predicted Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. Peter Schrager, also of ESPN, mocked Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles going to Washington. Chad Reuter of NFL.com floated LSU DB Mansoor Delane.
So Peters preached patience and flexibility for his staff and for Washington fans.
“We’re just going to be prepared for everything,” Peters said. “We’ve just got to figure out what we need to do for ourselves, and we can’t control what’s above us. That’s how I feel today.”
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