As bad as things have been, the Washington Commanders know there is a framework for fixing their leaky defense. A formula for a much-needed revival, based on densely populated zone shells and a steady stream of pressure without blitzing.
It's a formula as old as the game itself, but one thing's missing for the Commanders — the lack of a blue-chip edge-rusher or two to make it work.
There are some capable bodies in the rotation, but they are either journeyman players with interesting versatility who are proving doubters wrong. Or an aging big name from the past, like Von Miller.
Things got worse when Dorance Armstrong Jr., who was on the cusp of a banner campaign, fell to a season-ending knee problem. He's joined the already-sidelined duo of Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javontae Jean-Baptiste on the shelf.
They are edge-setters against the run, but what the Commanders need above all else is a legitimate, every-down game-wrecker on the outside of their front seven. The absence of one of those is a pretty big problem for a team staring at a 3-5 record at the midway point of the 2025 season.
Perhaps general manager Adam Peters can address the need with a big swing ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 4. It's a familiar idea with some usual suspects and an unexpected but frustrated pass-rusher.
We've been here before many times, but the Commanders still need it to happen. Peters has to engineer a deal to add a proven and prolific quarterback hunter to the roster. Fortunately, there's more than one viable candidate.
The most obvious remains Trey Hendrickson, who has seemingly wanted out of the Cincinnati Bengals for ages. He is just what Washington's defense needs, a quick-twitch and big-bodied defensive end who can collapse the edge from both sides of the line and even slide inside to puncture the pocket.
Now's the time to revive the much-talked-about Hendrickson to the Commanders trade rumors, but there may be a more straightforward solution. It would involve Peters raiding the Miami Dolphins for either Jaelan Phillips or Bradley Chubb.
Both are likely to be on the trade block, according to Omar Kelly from The Miami Herald. The latter also included veteran four-time Pro Bowler Matthew Judon as a possible trade chip, while putting a price on any potential deal the Commanders would surely find attractive:
"A team in need of pass-rushing help could potentially acquire Chubb from Miami for a third-day draft pick because his $19.2 million salary next season isn’t guaranteed, and the Dolphins could potentially clear $20.2 million in cap space releasing him next offseason. Trade Chubb now and the team would acquire something for him... It’s doubtful that the Dolphins would trade Phillips for anything less than a fourth-round pick in 2026 or 2027 because Miami could potentially inherit that, or better for Phillips based on the NFL’s compensatory pick formula. But that formula depends on how much he receives from another team, and the impact he has in 2026 on the field."
Omar Kelly
A mid-round 2026 NFL Draft pick for a 20-something edge-rusher with plenty of upside would be a bargain for the Commanders, especially when a consistent force rushing the corner can help this team play a safer, more effective brand of defense.
It's a mode of travel based on packing the zones with seven and rushing four. When it works, the Commanders can frustrate opponents and force turnovers, the way they did with two early interceptions of Patrick Mahomes against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8.
The approach soon breaks down when there's not enough pressure from the front four to keep those zone shells intact. The way they didn't when Mahomes steadily picked apart the Commanders once he became too comfortable moving around the pocket.
Jacob Martin got to Mahomes twice, but he's no one-man band, while 36-year-old Miller has his snaps managed carefully. Adding Phillips or Chubb to the mix would improve things. It's also quicker than waiting on Frankie Luvu to make the grade as an edge-rusher.