• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

Commanders Owner Josh Harris Begins Remodeling Product on the Field

  • Commanders traded Chase Young and Montez Sweat ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
  • The team added more draft picks before what could be an offseason of change.
Josh Harris
Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports

It took Josh Harris 102 days to put his imprint on the Washington Commanders. 

Since Harris’ ownership group took control over the Commanders as the $6.05 billion deal officially closed on July 21, this season was about evaluating the whole organization. At 3-5 ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, that meant trading two starting defensive ends — Chase Young and Montez Sweat — for draft picks.

Harris and others in the ownership group, along with the team’s front office, were in “full alignment” on those deals, a source with knowledge of the matter told Front Office Sports. 

“This was best to help build a team that can win over the long haul,” the source added. 

It wasn’t the kind of move that former owner Dan Snyder was known for during his 24 years as owner. Snyder, despite the team only making it to the playoffs six times during his troubled tenure, never fully put the team in rebuilding mode. 

But that’s where the Commanders are likely headed. 

Young netted the Commanders a third-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers, and Sweat was dealt to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick. Both were in the final years of their contracts, and the picks the Commanders received were better than the compensatory ones the team would’ve gotten if they left as free agents. 

The team will enter the offseason with a projected $90 million cap space — and the changes could extend beyond the roster. Head coach Ron Rivera has one more season left on his contract and continues to have a say on player personnel, including Tuesday’s trades. 

Rivera is in his fourth season, and only a 7-9 2020 campaign was the Commanders’ only trip to the postseason since he arrived. He arguably had more control than any other coach on roster composition during Snyder’s reign, especially as Snyder faded into the background amid a series of investigations — including the one that led to his record $60 million fine as Harris secured the Commanders in July. 

Harris entered this season in evaluation mode from the condition of FedEx Field fan amenities in Maryland to the front office in Northern Virginia. 

The immediate needs of FedEx were addressed with $40 million in upgrades committed to FedEx. Building a new stadium and rebuilding the roster will take much longer. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

2024 NFL Trade Deadline Live Updates: Lattimore Bolsters Commanders Defense

The 2024 NFL Trade Deadline is at 4:00. Which teams have added talent and salary?

ESPN’s Jason Kelce Avoids Discipline After Viral Fan Confrontation

The dust continues to settle from Jason Kelce’s viral confrontation.
opinion

McCarthy: Embiid, Kelce May Have Overreacted, but Hard to Blame Them

Joel Embiid shoved a columnist, while Jason Kelce smashed a heckler’s phone.

NFL Center Connor McGovern Is the Heir to a Potato Empire

The NFL vet’s family provides potatoes for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and others.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Teams Face Crossroads at Season’s Halfway Point

0:00

Featured Today

Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.
Donald Trump holding a basketball in the White House
October 30, 2024

Mavericks Owner’s $100 Million Trump Donation Dwarfs All Other Sports Owner Political Giving

Dr. Miriam Adelson is one of the most powerful donors in U.S. politics.

Twins At Crossroads: Team Sale, Media Shifts, and Rising Competition

Team officials look to maintain “business as usual” amid growing uncertainty.
November 3, 2024

Embiid’s Clash With Reporter Sparks NBA Probe, Concerns for Sixers

The former NBA Most Valuable Player angrily confronts and shoves a local columnist.
November 5, 2024

Sorry, Sacramento: Your MLB Team Will Only Be Known As the Athletics 

The club’s new “brand transition guidelines” remove any reference to a place.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
October 26, 2024

Las Vegas Aces Cut GM Amid Front-Office Restructuring

The 2022 and 2023 champions lost to the Liberty in the WNBA semifinals.
October 25, 2024

Inside The Wall at L.A. Clippers’ New $2B Home

FOS went inside the “contagious” energy at the L.A. Clippers’ Intuit Dome.
Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run with New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino (left) and pitcher Jose Quintana (right) in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field.
October 24, 2024

OMG: Indie Designers Cashed In on the Most Gimmicky Mets Season Ever

The Mets’ meme-laden season lives on well beyond their playoff run.
October 23, 2024

Will Clippers’ $2B Arena Be Enough to Distance from Lakers?

Steve Ballmer spent $2 billion to build the Intuit Dome.