Commanders' Laremy Tunsil trade somehow just got even better

Things might not quite be going according to plan for the Washington Commanders through the first four weeks of the 2025 season. Still, their trade to acquire prolific four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil looks like a tremendous piece of business by general manager Adam Peters.

The Commanders have numerous concerns. But the production levels of Tunsil have been precisely what the team expected over the opening quarter of the campaign.

Peters knew that for quarterback Jayden Daniels to cement his status among the NFL's elite after his rookie year for the ages, he needed one of the league's most accomplished blindside enforcers to keep the pocket clean. The Commanders struck a deal with the Houston Texans for Tunsil, and it's been a good use of Washington's assets so far.

Commanders' trade for Laremy Tunsil just got even better after Texans blunder

Tunsil's 87.7 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranks fourth out of 105 qualifying tackles. He's given up just one sack and four pressures from 197 snaps on offense. The four penalties aren't ideal, but it appears the Commanders will receive a sound return on this substantial investment.

The Texans felt like they could manage without Tunsil. But the player they acquired to fill the void potentially has also been traded after things turned sour quickly.

Cam Robinson came in with lofty ambitions to solidify the left tackle spot in Tunsil's absence. That didn't come to fruition, and quarterback C.J. Stroud is getting almost no time in the pocket to go through his progressions.

Houston had seen enough. Robinson was a healthy scratch for their Week 4 game shutout win over the lowly Tennessee Titans. As it turned out, this relationship between the player and franchise had gone past the point of no return.

According to Jeremy Fowler from ESPN, the Texans traded Robinson to the Cleveland Browns for a swap of late-round picks in 2027. The AFC South club practically gave him away, which makes their decision to remove Tunsil, the team's best edge protector by a considerable margin, all the more bizarre.

That's not the Commanders' problem. Peters recognized the opportunity to acquire a premier player and seized it. Some of his high-profile acquisitions aren't meeting their billing right now, but the Ole Miss product isn't among them. He's hit the ground running while his old team flounders in no uncertain terms.

If the Texans had the chance, they would no doubt think a little harder about parting ways with Tunsil. But there are no give-backs in the NFL, and the Commanders are the primary beneficiaries.