Commanders answer Terry McLaurin trade drama with most underwhelming twist yet

The Washington Commanders' ongoing contract battle with wide receiver Terry McLaurin took a new twist with a trade request. But if the wide receiver or his agent thought this would provoke more immediate urgency from general manager Adam Peters, they were sorely mistaken.

Instead, the front-office leader responded with an underwhelming move further down the depth chart.

According to Grant Paulsen from 106.7 The Fan, the Commanders signed Braylon Sanders. The wideout emerged as a supreme deep threat in the UFL, averaging 25 yards per catch for the D.C. Defenders last season, to find his way back into the league when all hope seemed lost.

Commanders made a wide receiver move, but not one involving Terry McLaurin

As far as NFL action goes, Sanders has seen very little. He caught two receptions from three targets for 17 receiving yards for the Miami Dolphins in 2022, but hasn't caught on anywhere since.

Adding another receiver into the mix doesn't detract from the need to get this matter resolved in a way that benefits McLaurin and Washington. But the fact that the Commanders signed another pass-catcher — whether it's a camp body or not — hints that this prolonged saga is going to go on for a while yet.

McLaurin took his most drastic action so far to pile on the pressure. Peters has been reluctant to meet the asking price, which is reportedly due to the player's age and the potential for regression later in his career. The two sides remain at loggerheads, and the wideout felt slighted enough to declare his willingness to move away if given the chance.

There's no chance Peters bows to this demand, either. He knows how important McLaurin is to the Commanders' aspirations of winning a Super Bowl in 2025. With all due respect to Sanders, he doesn't move the needle at all.

The relationship hasn't completely gone past the point of no return yet, but it's fractured to levels no fans were expecting. McLaurin thought this would be pretty simple to work out after everything he's given the organization. That might have been the case under previous regimes, but Peters is running things wth much more professionalism.

Imagine what Sanders is feeling right now. He's getting another NFL shot, but it's got the cloud of McLaurin's saga hanging over it. Not exactly ideal for anybody, so the new arrival needs to make the best out of the situation.

As for McLaurin? He might feel some type of way about this, and his agent will also have something to say based on his influence throughout the process. However, the common goal between the Pro Bowler and the Commanders is the same.

For now, at least.

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