NFL Trade Rewind: Commanders Emerge as Biggest Winners in 2022-23 dealings,49ers’ Gamble Falls Flat
ASHBURN,VA & SANTA CLARA,CA – A year and a half removed from a flurry of activity,a re-evaluation of NFL trades from the 2022-23 seasons reveals a clear winner: the Washington Commanders. While several deals have yielded mixed results, the Commanders’ strategic maneuvering, notably involving the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers, has positioned them favorably for the future. Conversely,the 49ers’ high-profile acquisition of chase Young has proven a costly miscalculation.
These trades, made with varying degrees of urgency and long-term vision, are now being judged by their actual impact on team performance and future asset accumulation. The Commanders’ success highlights the value of capitalizing on divisional rivals’ needs and identifying undervalued talent, while the 49ers’ experience serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of betting big on players with injury histories.
When: March 2023
Bears got: WR DJ Moore, 2024 frist-round pick (originally belonging to the Dolphins)
Commanders got: Edge Montez Sweat, 2024 second-round pick
At the time: The Commanders sent the Bears a package for Sweat, a solid but not elite pass rusher. Chicago was looking to bolster their receiving corps for young quarterback Justin Fields.
What happened: the Commanders immediately extended sweat to a four-year deal, but traded him to the Bears mid-season for a second-round pick. That pick was then used to select CB Cooper DeJean, whom the Eagles took after acquiring that Bears second-round pick from their division rivals. Both corners are making a fraction of their true market value for four years, while Sweat’s a good player being paid like a star in Chicago.
Verdict: Win for the Commanders.
When: October 2023
49ers got: Edge Chase Young
Commanders got: 2024 third-round pick (conditional)
Commanders draft pick became: WR Luke McCaffrey
At the time: All-in to try to win a Super Bowl, the 49ers took a swing on a player with great traits who was still 24 years old. young was widely regarded as the best player in the 2020 draft and won Defensive rookie of the Year in his debut season, but a torn ACL in Year 2 cost him most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Young had five sacks and nine knockdowns midway through 2023 when the 49ers acquired him, hoping that he could form a devastating one-two punch with former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa.
What happened: Young didn’t take in San Francisco. He managed 2.5 sacks and six knockdowns in nine regular-season games and added one more during the postseason. He didn’t have a great Super Bowl, and the 49ers decided to move on after the year
