Commanders' Rivera: Trades are 'opportunity to see what else we have'
A day after the Washington Commanders traded starting pass-rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young, head coach Ron Rivera believes the club has plenty to play for moving forward.
"We have an opportunity to go out and play well," Rivera said, according to ESPN's John Keim. "I do think there's every opportunity in front of us. It's an opportunity to see what else we have. It's an opportunity to go out and win football games using different guys."
Washington bolstered its draft haul at the trade deadline, gaining a third-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Young and a second-round selection for Sweat in a deal with the Chicago Bears.
The Commanders had been receiving calls about Sweat and Young as far back as training camp, a source told Keim. Rivera said trade conversations began 10 days ago.
Sweat and Young combined to tally 11.5 sacks before being dealt on Tuesday. Sweat led the Commanders with 6.5 sacks, followed by Young, who hauled opposing quarterbacks down a total of five times.
Rivera drew similarities to his tenure with the Carolina Panthers, when the team made some personnel moves and managed to capture the NFC South by winning the final four games of the 2014 regular season.
"I've gone through this before," Rivera said. "Do we have that opportunity? I think this is what this is. It's the same kind of opportunity."
Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams are expected to see more snaps beginning Sunday against the New England Patriots.
Washington holds five draft picks within the top 100 ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. The franchise is also projected to have over $90 million in cap space next offseason, according to Over the Cap.
Rivera is confident that the franchise is trending upward, especially when it comes to the development of quarterback Sam Howell.
"I know this franchise has been looking for quite some time (for a quarterback) and for the first time in a while, I think that that guy might be here," Rivera said.
Howell produced one of his best performances of the season by throwing for 397 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend. The North Carolina product has displayed promise for a franchise that has started 33 different passers since 1991.