A kicker has been added by Washington before its last preseason game.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Cleveland Browns traded Cade York to the Commanders on Thursday for a conditional seventh-round pick, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer broke the story first.
Riley Patterson was signed by the Commanders this summer after Brandon McManus was cut due to accusations of sexual assault. Although Patterson was the lone kicker on the team, following two missed field goals this past weekend, new coach Dan Quinn made it apparent that the team was thinking about adding some competition.
York moves forward.
York, a former Cleveland 2022 fourth-round selection, made an early impression by converting a game-winning 58-yard field goal in his debut. But after that, he had trouble being consistent. The previous offseason, the Browns benched York in favor of Dustin Hopkins. York moved from the practice squad of Tennessee to the active roster and practice squad of the New York Giants. Due to a quad injury, he was put on injured reserve at the end of the previous season.
York was brought back by Cleveland in March, but it became evident that he would only be a camp leg and insurance after the team signed Hopkins to a contract deal this offseason.
York has completed all four of his preseason field goals tries, including a 55-yarder, and two PATs. On six attempts, he has had four touchbacks in the new kickoff format, though.
There will be a kicker competition when Washington plays New England on Sunday night to wrap up the preseason.
For a possible $100 million WR, commanders should take a risk.
The Washington Commanders’ safest course of action at this point would be to cross their fingers and hope that wide receiver Terry McLaurin, a rookie quarterback, can remain a dependable top target in 2024.
Throughout his first five NFL seasons, McLaurin has performed admirably at times, including four straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
It is vital for the Commanders to recognize when to give up being predictable and not settle with good, if not exceptional, work. And right now is that time.
In order to secure a top target for Daniels and establish themselves as one of the finest teams in the NFC for many years to come, Washington should seek to acquire wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Commanders would have to sign Chase to a contract extension that would pay him slightly over $30 million on average annually, so it would be an expensive and risky move. Spotrac projects that Chase’s current market value is slightly over $92 million for a three-year contract, which sounds like a reasonable estimate. Chase is expected to negotiate a contract that is more like to the four-year, $140 million extension that wide receiver Justin Jefferson, a teammate in college, earned with the Minnesota Vikings.
The transaction would most likely also need McLaurin to be sent to the Bengals, along with the first- and third-round picks from the Commanders in 2025.
In the NFL, the brave tend to get lucky. This might be the biggest trade in club history, and it would be an unprecedentedly audacious move.
“The Bengals are running out of time to get a long-term deal done with one of the bigger talents in organization history,” Alex Kay of Bleacher Report said on August 20. The 2024 NFL season is about to begin. “While it may have seemed absurd to split up Chase and veteran quarterback Joe Burrow heading into the offseason, there does appear to be a possibility the team considers trade offers rather than taking a chance on a protracted holdout.”
Chase Has Sat Out in the Past and May Do So This Season
Regardless of position, Chase is one of the few players who can make any team he plays for a contender. In addition, he only has two years left on his deal, which puts him in a risky position as he approaches 2024 and tries to use his team’s success to get a contract extension.
Although Mike Brown, the owner of the Bengals, has already stated that he doesn’t want to negotiate a deal until next year, Chase should have the upper hand because he knows the team cannot win the Super Bowl without him. However, in a recent episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast, former Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he doesn’t think Chase will play this season without new contact.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that Chase isn’t afraid to miss a season if he believes it will benefit his career. Following his role in leading LSU to a national championship and undefeated season in 2019, he missed the whole 2020 season to avoid injury and get ready for the 2021 NFL draft, in which the Bengals selected him with the fifth overall pick.
Statistics Display Chase is a Talent for Generations.
Ja'Marr Chase went UP and got this TD‼️
He's over 100 yards and has 2 Rec TDs in the first half 🤯
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/HmVH3o1AIN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 2, 2022
Chase has been named an NFL All-Pro and has made three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons in the league. With his assistance in leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021, he was voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and an NFL All-Pro. After the 2022 season, Cincinnati also advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
In addition, Chase is the youngest player in NFL history to record multiple postseason games with at least 100 receiving yards. Chase has 268 receptions for 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns through his first three seasons.
