It cannot be argued that the Washington Commanders have "done a good job'' when it comes to keeping wide receiver Terry McLaurin happy when it comes to their contract extension squabble.
But maybe the Commanders do get credit for one thing: They have managed to keep the lid on any legitimate trade leaks coming out of the building.
That, however, has not stopped critics from making up their own.
Washington capped 2024 with an upstart berth in the NFC title game, marking one of the great turnarounds in NFL history. McLaurin was a key to that surge, and will be again when the Commanders take a shot at their Super Bowl goal in 2025.
Along the way, the front office turned its attention to an admitted need to extend their All-Pro receiver this offseason. ... but progress has seemingly been non-existent.
ESPN says that McLaurin is "not happy with where things are with an extension," and we suppose that is so.
But ESPN and other outlets have attempted to create their own solutions to the problem ... which inevitably leads to trade ideas that to us, in the end, do not really solve the Washington problem - and do not help D.C. accomplish that aforementioned all-important goal.
Still ... we get "Top Five Landing Spots for McLaurin'' stories on a more-than-daily basis. Examples?
The San Francisco 49ers should get him because they have cap space.
The New York Jets should get him because Garrett Wilson needs a buddy.
The Tennessee Titans should get him because No. 1 pick Cam Ward needs a target.
The Las Vegas Raiders should get him because they have "a bare cupboard at wide receiver.
The New England Patriots because should get him because "they are always listed as an option.''
Respectfully, all of these ideas (and all of the ideas for a total of 31 teams not named "Commanders'') can have merit. But they also all leave out one thing ...
How do these trade ideas help the 2025 Washington Commanders win the Super Bowl?
We don't have the answer to the end of McLaurin's holdout or the level of his "anger'' or exactly where his eventual deal will rank him in the NFL's new "$30 Million APY Receiver Club.''
But we know this: A Washington team without McLaurin and his 13 touchdowns and his leadership and his importance as the top target for QB Jayden Daniels is far less likely to win a Super Bowl.
These "trade destination'' ideas are grand for the team that would get McLaurin ... but quality as a loss for a Washington team that might be on the verge of a title.