Commanders Marshon Lattimore Wearing Out Welcome

The Washington Commanders addressed their secondary with the addition of Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos in the 2025 NFL Draft, a highly-touted prospect with great versatility and length.

With this second-round selection, Washington could be entering a youth movement as they continue building around star quarterback Jayden Daniels this offseason with the addition of young players in needed positions.

On the defensive side of the ball, various rumors could result in sliding Amos into a starting job already.

Reports say the Commanders could be interested in moving veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore in a trade, if the organization is interested in maximizing Daniels' rookie contract with more young, cheap assets and draft capital.

Last season, Washington acquired the four-time Pro Bowler at the trade deadline after he spent eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Not returning from injury until four games after his trade, Lattimore has played just two games in a Commanders uniform.

When Lattimore did play, his performance left little to be desired. That won't guarantee him a future in the nation's capital if they are intrigued by Amos this early in his career.

While his Commanders career has minimal sample size to go off of, Lattimore's injury history could also put him on the trading block in these roster building efforts.

Looking at his last three seasons, Lattimore, 28, has only played in 26 regular season games ... and missed 25.

The injuries clearly affected Lattimore's production last season, as he never graded higher than a 62.5 by Pro Football Focus during Washington's end-of-season stretch.

That injury risk and mediocre play could make him eligible for a trade if Washington has any last hopes of maximizing his market value.

So, who is a likely fit?

One writer believes the Baltimore Ravens, who are also struggling in the secondary, could be an ideal trade partner.

"Last season, the Baltimore Ravens had one of the worst pass secondaries, which is why they brought in Tre'Davious White in a trade for relief," Anthony Palacios said.

"It didn’t pan out that way as Brandon Stephens held this roster back from shedding success to stop wide receivers in the aerial attack. 2024 (Baltimore) draft pick Nate Wiggins has a bright future, but he might need time to adjust, and Lattimore could be a good temporary piece to pair with Marlon Humphrey."

While the speculation all makes sense for a divorce between the Commanders and Lattimore, their split shouldn't be assumed prematurely.

Lattimore holds a $18 million cap hit this season, which might be too large an investment for Washington to give up on - and too large a responsibility for someone else in the future, too.

Plus, the Commanders will still be slim at the cornerback position, even if they move Amos into a starting role. Keeping Lattimore around for the 2025 season might be beneficial for veteran leadership in an otherwise very young secondary.

Beyond this offseason? Lattimore's departure will become more of a possibility given his age and him still having two years left on his contract.

Washington, however, will hope that a full year of recovery can help the veteran cornerback return to near-top form to halt many of these talks. For now.