Getty A wild trade proposal would swap Washington Commanders' WR Terry McLaurin for a Pro-Bowl wideout.
The Washington Commanders need quality weapons around Jayden Daniels, but trading for one of their rookie quarterback’s favorite targets, Brandon Aiyuk, isn’t worth giving up Terry McLaurin.
He’s one of the few established playmakers among Daniels’ wide receivers, but McLaurin could be trade bait for acquiring Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers. That’s the outlandish proposal put forward by Ben Standig and David Lombardi of The Athletic.
They have the Commanders sending McLaurin to the Bay Area and getting Aiyuk and a “compensatory third-round pick” in return. Those are decent terms, but perhaps not good enough to justify parting ways with McLaurin, who has been a model of consistency by posting four 1,000-yard seasons out of five in Washington.
Standig acknowledged McLaurin is “wildly popular, productive (and likely untradable).” However, Standig doesn’t think the Commanders would be able to do a deal for Aiyuk and afford to keep both premium receivers on the roster: “Making Aiyuk one of the five highest-paid receivers will lead to McLaurin’s camp wanting a raise next year when the contract no longer includes guaranteed money. At 29, McLaurin is roughly two and a half years older than Aiyuk.”
Despite Aiyuk’s strong history with Daniels, the latter’s arrival of FedEx Field makes this the wrong time entirely to move on from a proven commodity like McLaurin.
Terry McLaurin Remains a Building Block for Commanders’ Rebuild
Daniels is being tasked with becoming the Commanders’ very own franchise quarterback. The Heisman Trophy winner will have an easier time earning that status if McLaurin remains in the fold.
McLaurin gives Daniels an obvious go-to target. The veteran has proved tough, resourceful and consistent since entering the pros as a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
Not even playing on a 4-11 team in 2023 could slow McLaurin down. Instead, the 28-year-old snagged 79 receptions for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns.
McLaurin beat double coverage to high-point the ball and score against the Denver Broncos in Week 2.
Terry McLaurin over two guys for the TD 😳 @TheTerry_25
📺: #WASvsDEN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus t.co/FhXtx7w3wW
This kind of effort means McLaurin would turn even shaky throws from rookie Daniels into big plays. That’s not something the Commanders should deal away, despite Aiyuk’s familiarity with their new QB1.
Brandon Aiyuk Trade Can’t Come at Too High a Price
Aiyuk played with Daniels at Arizona State in 2019 and has been vocal this offseason about his desire to reunite their partnership. The duo would thrive for the Commanders, mostly thanks to Aiyuk’s knack for getting open at every level of the field.
His core talents earned him second-team All-Pro honors last season, when Aiyuk helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. Significantly, he was “the highest-graded WR on out and post routes in 2023,” according to Pro Football Focus.
Brandon Aiyuk: The highest-graded WR on out and post routes in 2023
Deebo Samuel: The highest-graded WR on in routes in 2023
Good luck trying to stop this duo 👀
Success outside the numbers and vertically would make Aiyuk an ideal weapon for new Commanders’ offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The latter loves to attack the perimeter of pass coverage with ‘Air Raid‘ concepts.
Ironically, Kingsbury’s scheme is exactly why the Commanders should want to pair Aiyuk with McLaurin. As NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks put it, “the combination of Aiyuk and Terry McLaurin would give Washington’s aerial attack a pair of bona fide big-play weapons on the perimeter. With at least one premier receiver facing one-on-one coverage on every down, Daniels would be able to operate in attack mode within Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid system that produces plenty of home run opportunities.”
Swapping McLaurin for Aiyuk wouldn’t be a case of addition by subtraction for the Commanders. Better for the team to stockpile another elite target alongside their lone marquee pass-catcher.
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Wild Trade Proposal Flips Commanders’ Terry McLaurin for All-Pro