Washington Commanders: Mistakes to avoid in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Hunter Noll
Washington Commanders gambling just to gamble
Don’t gamble on a trade just to gamble. Just because you feel like you need to make a big splash, doesn’t mean you have to do it.
If you think someone can truly help the team and might be a future star at whatever position, absolutely do it. However, if you are looking at the draft and see a quarterback is available but you aren’t really interested in him – why chase him?
Trading up for someone you aren’t in love with just spells disaster. Now you have someone that you don’t believe in 100%. Worse than that, you traded away multiple assets for him.
Fans want their team to make a big splash. Especially at the quarterback position. Most also understand that sometimes the right fit isn’t there though. And trading up to get someone that the organization isn’t invested in isn’t going to end well.
Trading up isn’t an exact science. People love to twist the story to fit their narratives all the time. Fans that want their team to take the risk will point to someone like Patrick Mahomes working out perfectly. However, fans against moving up could point to Mitchell Trubisky in that same draft not exactly panning out. Or they could point to the Griffin III trade for Washington.
But in reality, trading up is going to hit and miss. There are times that the team trading up will flourish because of it, and times when they will flounder and set themselves back a few more years.
It’s a risk, but it’s definitely one worth taking at times. Do not do it just to do it though. I understand from a GM, coach, and owner perspective why you might feel the pressure to do so. This is especially true for an organization that has been losing a lot (like Washington has the last few decades).
Fans get restless and if you don’t try and make big moves, they are only going to get more upset. This could lead to fans becoming disinterested, not buying tickets, not buying merchandise, and ultimately turning on the franchise (leading to people losing their jobs).
Don’t push the panic button though. There are plenty of options out there at whatever position you’re looking for (although let’s be honest if you’re making a blockbuster trade up move in the first round of the draft it’s usually for a QB).