The NFL Trade Deadline is just a day away, and while there are a number of deals that are likely to be made within the next 24 hours, don’t be surprised if you see the Washington Football Team stay put for the time being.
That isn’t to say that they arent in desperate need of some help on the open market, or that they don’t have extra pieces here and there that could greatly improve other rosters, netting them some assets for the future. They’re likely to stay put because what’s on their mind right now above competing for the NFC East division title and subsequent playoff spot is a look at the future, and making sure that they can keep a solid roster around for years to come.
When talking to the media on Monday morning, head coach Ron Rivera explained a bit of his thinking on this matter.
From what Ron Rivera is telling us, doesn't sound like Washington is going to make a trade for a rental-type guy. IF they do acquire someone, he's going to target players who will be here beyond December
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) November 2, 2020
"There's a number of guys out there you could trade for but there all in the last year of his contract"
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 2, 2020
Unlike an expiring contract in the NBA, having just a year left on your deal in the NFL makes it less likely for a team to trade for you, as they know that they’ll have to re-sign said player in the coming offseason to keep them around, whereas you could hold onto a player for years to come if they had a few years left on their deal. If you were to look at a player like Allen Robinson, the WR for the Chicago Bears, for instance, he is set to become a free agent this offseason, so Washington might as well wait to try and sign him without giving up an asset for him.
This doesn’t mean that Washington will be silent during the trade deadline, but it does cut down their prospects quite a bit. Stay tuned to see if we get any fireworks.
[listicle id=43390]