Commanders trade proposal shows just how bad things are for former first round pick that got benched again

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes is experiencing another rough patch and he's not even halfway through his second NFL season.

The former first-rounder was a healthy scratch during Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, marking his future prospects with the team even more bleaker than they already were. At this point, it's safe to say Dan Quinn and co. do not view Forbes as a contributor in 2024. 

However, Quinn hasn't completely shut the door on Forbes, even if it's barely cracked open.

"I kind of reminded him [that] it's not always going to be this rocky," Quinn told reporters before Wednesday's practice. "You know, by the work that you put in, the things that you want to emphasize, and then you work like hell to go improve upon those specific things, and the chance is going to come back around. And when it does, you want to be able to go nail it. But the reason you can is because all the work that you put in, so when that chance comes again, you say, 'Okay, I put the work in, I'm ready to go do it.'

"That was my message to him about the readiness and that next chance. It's going to be there again and [he needs to be] absolutely be ready for it."

But, at the same time, there's certainly a world where that "next chance" isn't with the Commanders. Instead, said opportunity would be with a different team and that could happen as soon as this year. 

Even though Forbes hasn't lived up to his first-round billing, he remains a very talented player at a premium position. It wouldn't be too hard to find an interested team, the only catch is the Commanders aren't going to get anything in return that would get even close to the same price they paid for the former Mississippi State Bulldog - that's how much Forbes' value has dropped since April 2023:

Commanders get: 2025 fifth-round pick
Chargers get: CB Emmanuel Forbes, 2025 sixth-round pick

First-round picks aren't usually on the trade block before they're even halfway through their second pro campaigns, but Forbes is a unique case. An undersized (166 pounds) corner out of Mississippi State, the Ron Rivera regime drafted him with the 16th selection in last year's draft ... and didn't end up liking what it saw. Forbes began the season in the starting lineup before being benched in October. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the way.

The new regime that took over after Rivera was fired, meanwhile, doesn't appear to see much in the 23-year-old, either. Forbes has played just 72 defensive snaps this season. While he has been held back by a thumb injury, he was a healthy scratch for last Sunday's loss to the Ravens. He is probably the sixth corner on Washington's depth chart and is due over the next three years more than $6 million guaranteed, which the team might prefer to spend elsewhere...

... There's not much on the long-term depth chart for Los Angeles at cornerback... and taking on $6 million for a player who hasn't been even a passable NFL corner might be a dangerous move, but the upside of landing a prospect who went in the middle of Round 1 just 18 months ago would be worth the risk for Jim Harbaugh & Co. - Bill Barnwell, ESPN

The Commanders have two sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, so parting ways with one of them in order to "upgrade" to a fifth-rounder, as well as shedding his remaining salary over the next few years is a plus. 

Really, all Forbes provides is depth, and that's said with all due respect. Even then, he's not crucial depth, evidenced by the decision to make him a healthy scratch last week. The Commanders have plenty of versatile guys that can move around in the secondary, proven by rookie Mike Sainristil, who is primarily a nickel, taking snaps on the outside and Quan Martin's ability to play in the slot, even though he's primarily a free safety. 

It's not a good situation and there's really nothing that's going to get it to the level that evens out Forbes' lack of production. The Commanders should make a move that at least nets them something as opposed to losing out, completely. That way there's at least some semblance of a return on investment, here.