Commander Country

Should Commanders Trade CB William Jackson III?

Washington Commanders cornerback William Jackson III is hearing whispers on the trade market. But is it wise for the Commanders to pull the trigger?

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

Washington Commanders cornerback William Jackson III's name has been the subject of trade rumors this week after a report revealed that he could be interested in a change of scenery.

Jackson may want a trade, but it ultimately comes down to general manager Martin Mayhew's decision ... and it may not be in Washington's best interest to deal its starting cornerback.

Jackson is in the second season of a three-year, $42 million deal he signed in 2021, and any time you shell out that kind of money in free agency, you don't want it to go to waste. If Washington trades Jackson, the organization admits failure in the decision to sign him.

But just because you signed Jackson to a pricy deal doesn't mean you shouldn't trade him. The future should have more weight in the decision than the past.

Should Jackson be traded, Benjamin St-Juste would likely take his place. St-Juste has played well in the two games Jackson sat out due to injury. And in Washington's win on Thursday, St-Juste made the game-winning play, denying Darnell Mooney a touchdown on the goal line on fourth down. The team also has Kendall Fuller, who has also struggled, but is still the best cornerback on the roster. So trading Jackson won't completely tear down the house of cards.

Given the fact that Jackson also has a year left on his deal after 2022, the Commanders don't need to trade him and fear that he will walk away in free agency this summer. You don't want Jackson to walk away for nothing, but given the life of the contract, Washington doesn't need to settle ... it can wait for the best deal possible.

So, let's answer the question posed at the top of the article ... *Should* the Commanders trade Jackson? Only if the right deal comes along.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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