It’s been a rocky two years for Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. The No. 16 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft struggled as a rookie and was benched twice.
In defense of Forbes, Washington’s 2023 coaching staff was a trainwreck. However, in the offseason, Dan Quinn replaced Ron Rivera as head coach. Quinn brought Joe Whitt Jr. with him from Dallas and named him defensive coordinator. Quinn and Whitt have a history of developing Pro Bowl cornerbacks.
Unfortunately, Forbes has not taken hold of one of Washington’s starting cornerback jobs. He’s missed some time with thumb surgery, and when he plays, he hasn’t exactly stood out.
During last week’s game at Baltimore, the Commanders kept Forbes inactive. Quinn reasoned it had nothing to do with what the coaching staff thought about Forbes but was due to personnel. The Ravens are a run-oriented team, so the Commanders would play less Nickel, which meant they didn’t need as many cornerbacks.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently named 12 trades he’d like to see before the NFL trade deadline. One of those 12 trades involves the Commanders moving on from Forbes. Barnwell proposes Washington send Forbes to the Los Angeles Chargers with a sixth-round pick in 2025 and receive a 2025 fifth-round pick in return.
First-round picks aren’t usually on the trade block before they’re even halfway through their second pro campaigns, but Forbes is a unique case. An undersized (166 pounds) corner out of Mississippi State, the Ron Rivera regime drafted him with the 16th selection in last year’s draft … and didn’t end up liking what it saw. Forbes began the season in the starting lineup before being benched in October. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the way.
The new regime that took over after Rivera was fired, meanwhile, doesn’t appear to see much in the 23-year-old, either. Forbes has played just 72 defensive snaps this season. While he has been held back by a thumb injury, he was a healthy scratch for last Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. He is probably the sixth corner on Washington’s depth chart and is due over the next three years more than $6 million guaranteed, which the team might prefer to spend elsewhere.
On the other hand, if an organization still sees Forbes as the dynamic playmaker he was in college, three years of a young cornerback for $6 million is a bargain. The Chargers might be willing to take the plunge, given that Asante Samuel Jr. is on injured reserve for the next three games. There’s not much on the long-term depth chart for Los Angeles at cornerback, as Samuel and Kristian Fulton, the team’s two starters on the outside, will both be free agents after the season. Taking on $6 million for a player who hasn’t been even a passable NFL corner might be a dangerous move, but the upside of landing a prospect who went in the middle of Round 1 just 18 months ago would be worth the risk for Jim Harbaugh & Co.
If Washington was offered this trade, general manager Adam Peters would likely pounce. Peters has already added more picks through trades for 2025 by dealing 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson and defensive tackle John Ridgeway.
Forbes still has a chance to turn things around, but that better happen soon. The Commanders likely have already made their minds up about Forbes — good or bad.