What's Next for Commanders Following Trade for CB Marshon Lattimore?

The Washington Commanders made a big move trading for Marshon Lattimore, so what's next?

Jan 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) runs with the football after intercepting a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders made a big splash trading for former New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore ahead of the NFL's Tuesday deadline to do so.

As with any big splash, there are going to be ripple effects from the move, and the first among them the Commanders hope will be an increase in their ability to defend the pass.

Beyond that, however, there are other ripples that may come which Washington is looking for that could aid it in a playoff push through the back half of the season.

Jan 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) runs with the football after intercepting a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

DEFENSE

This isn't a ripple as much as it is ground zero. First and foremost the Commanders view Lattimore as a defensive upgrade.

According to Pro Football Focus grading Lattimore's 69.5 mark is better than any other Washington cornerback in the group which was previously led by rookie Mike Sainristil's grade of 62.

While his coverage grade (71.6) is one of the best in the league, it's his willingness to also help out in run defense that adds another layer to how Lattimore might impact the unit with his individual play.

FIRST-ROUND FADER

2023 first-round pick cornerback Emmanuel Forbes was struggling to find playing time on this new Commanders' defense before Lattimore arrived.

With reports circulating Washington general manager Adam Peters was assessing trade value for the corner it was expected Forbes might be dealt in the same move to bring in Lattimore or in a subsequent one to recoup some draft capital.

Neither happened, and now Forbes is one spot deeper on the depth chart than he was last week.

However, that may not be the case depending on the team's determination to keep Mike Sainristil inside.

ROOKIE IMPACT

Sainristil has been as advertised halfway through his first season, and even more so potentially with his move to the outside to help cure some of the Washington pass defense issues that hurt the team earlier in the season.

While the group isn't great, it's gotten significantly better since Sainristil moved outside. Still, the plan was always for the Commanders to move him back inside, and the acquisition of Lattimore should facilitate that.

That move will move Noah Igbinoghene back to the bench as a rotational player and the question now is if there arises a need on the outside again, will the team move Sainristil back out?

The answer to that question has its own ripple effects reaching both Igbinoghene and Forbes.

TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS

The addition of Lattimore isn't just going to make the secondary better - as a bonus ripple it's also going to create even more work for Benjamin St-Juste who has already faced a team-high 55 targets this season - it's going to make the pass rush better.

Quarterbacks looking Lattimore's way in their progression are going to find often that it is not the right place to go with the football. Because of this, the new Washington corner has only faced 14 targets this season, just six more than Forbes while playing close to 100 more coverage snaps this season.

That delay in delivery will lead to more targets for St-Juste as we mentioned above, but it will also lead to more time holding the ball in the pocket for opposing quarterbacks. And that should give the Commanders' pass rush more time to get after them, ideally leading to an increase in pressures and sacks.

As with any move, the ripples could go on forever, but these are some of the primary ones that will come from the addition of Lattimore to the Washington roster.

It is important to note that Lattimore missed the Saints' loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 9, his second missed game of the year. He was also inactive against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.

Both times he missed games this year it was due to a hamstring injury, leading some to wonder if he'll be physically ready to play as early as this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers who also made some moves to get better at the deadline.

After missing Week 2, Lattimore played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 3, so if that's any indication then it's possible the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback will be ready to go as soon as the team is ready to put him in play.

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