ASHBURN, Va. — Every NFL Draft has it’s share of twists and surprises so to expect a team like the Washington Commanders to follow anybody’s script but their own is unrealistic.
The odds of scripting the same gameplan as the Commanders staff is zero, below zero probably, so there are bound to be moments that confuse even the most casual observer when those who live and breathe organizational strategy divert from the lesser-informed strategy.
Still there are parts of draft weekend gameplans that everyone assumes are sort of universal. Even for those inside the franchise walls in Washington and those outside of them, there are a few items most everybody agrees on.
Things like, ‘you don’t draft a kicker in the first round.’
And for some, maybe even most, ‘don’t trade back with a division rival’ is on that list as well. But Peters did exactly that on Friday night.
“Yeah, there’s always – you have that in the back of your mind,” Peters said when asked about trading back and helping the Philadelphia Eagles move up to get cornerback Cooper DeJean from Iowa. “But (Eagles GM Howie Roseman is) a friend and he came with a strong offer. And really it was favorable in terms of the point chart, favorable for us, but really we liked it in terms of what it gave us and getting those two picks at 50 and 53.”
While Peters and the Commanders will now face DeJean on the Eagles side of the NFC East Division rivalry the general manager said that the ability to move up as far as they did on one end of the deal compared to how far they had to move back on the other made it too good of a chance to turn down.
With the 50th and 53rd picks he got in return Washington landed nickel corner Mike Sainristil from Michigan and tight end Ben Sinnott from Kansas State.
“He might be smaller but he is just as physical as they come,” Peters said of Sainristil. “He’ll bring it every time. He’s tough, he’s extremely smart…I can’t imagine anybody in his class in terms of ball skills on the defensive side of the ball. He’s got incredible ball skills and that’s what we look for is speed and ball skills and his instincts.”
Then, of Sinnott, Peters said, “He reminds me of guys like (San Francisco 49ers fullback) Kyle Juszczyk and (tight end) George Kittle, the way he blocks and in a way he moves and just the way he competes…Ben has that same mindset. He plays with that mindset. He can block really anywhere.”
There are three factors that will determine how the trade goes down in the history between these two teams, and it’s how each of the three prospects directly impacted on Day 2 pan out. Of course, there are players yet to be named who will join the NFL via the picks on Day 3 that were exchanged as well, and they’ll have their role.
For now, Commanders fans may not feel to well about their general manager dealing with the enemy, but Peters himself is confident in the move, in who he added to the roster, and so far seems to feel pretty good about what the team is accomplishing this weekend.
Stick with CommanderGameday for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the NFL Draft.
