The Washington Commanders have been one of the more puzzling teams in the NFL thus far this season.
They got off to a 2-0 start but then proceeded to lose three straight games, two of which were in blowout fashion (including an embarrassing 40-20 loss to the Chicago Bears). The Commanders then rebounded to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, pushing their record to 3-3.
While Washington is certainly not a Super Bowl contender by any means, the club is still in contention for a playoff spot, which means it could potentially buy some talent between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Dean Jones of FanSided names five players the Commanders could target before the end of the month: New England Patriots offensive lineman Michael Onwenu, Denver Broncos offensive lineman Garett Bolles and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks.
Two of the players Jones named are offensive lineman, which seems appropriate given the fact that quarterback Sam Howell has been sacked 34 times this season, the worst mark in the NFL. He has been sacked five times each of the last three weeks, and back in Week 3, the Buffalo Bills sacked Howell nine times as he threw four interceptions in a 37-3 loss.
Jeudy is another interesting guy to monitor, as he would provide Howell with another reliable wide out alongside of Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel.
The final two players on the list (Chinn and Hicks) both play on the defensive side of the ball, which has been a relatively surprising need for the Commanders who were third in the NFL in that category a year ago. This season, however, Washington ranks just 29th in the league in defense, allowing 377.2 yards per game.
The Commanders will look to move back over .500 when they take on the struggling New York Giants on Sunday.
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