Commanders GM Reveals Reason Behind Saints Trade

The Washington Commanders traded John Ridgeway III to the New Orleans Saints.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 29, 2024

Oct 23, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle John Ridgeway (91) celebrates while leaving the field after the Commanders' game against the Green Bay Packers at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are making some adjustments with the defensive line, trading John Ridgeway III to the New Orleans Saints in a draft pick swap.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters explained the logic behind the deal.

"I think with a guy like John, he did a really good job and you guys saw how good he did on Sunday night to, and so with that there's a lot of interest in him," Peters said. "And, you look at your team and you look at who you have in the building and compare it to what teams are offering. And, and we thought it's a really good opportunity for him to go somewhere and play a little bit more than he probably would've played here and a scheme that probably fits him a little bit more. And so, we were in constant contact with his agent, and John, to his credit, probably there was some things swirling around the last few days. He went out there and put some of his best tape out there and really, really paddled for us out here, all off season, all summer, all training camp. So, we wish the best for him and I know he is gonna go and have a really good year in New Orleans."

With Ridgeway no longer in the picture, the Commanders will roll with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Phidarian Mathis and rookie Johnny Newton at the defensive tackle spot.

The Commanders will face Ridgeway and the Saints in Week 15 on Dec. 15 in New Orleans.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Published Aug 29, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.