The first trade since the start of training camp was consummated on Friday when the D.C. Defenders sent OT Gottlieb Ayedze to the Houston Gamblers for WR Braylon Sanders. It's the second time in just over a month D.C. has worked to re-acquire a player from last year's championship-winning squad: They traded for TE Briley Moore from Columbus in February. Here's my instant analysis and grades of the most recent trade.
D.C. gets: WR Braylon Sanders
Sanders was a bona fide deep threat for D.C. last season, averaging over 25 yards per reception on his 13 regular season catches. Even then, he was fifth among receivers on the team in grabs, so he certainly wasn't a primary target. Sanders worked out for several NFL teams after the season and spent a bit of training camp with the Washington Commanders. The Gamblers took him in the Skill Positions Phase of the most recent Draft. The Defenders lost their two slot receivers from last year in Chris Rowland and Jaydon Mickens but return other contributors and have added Erik Ezukanma and Montrell Washington, in addition to getting Ty Scott back fully healthy. There doesn't seem to be a huge need here unless injuries have struck that we don't know about.
In trading Ayedze, a 2024 College Draft pick of the Defenders who spent the last few seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders, D.C. drops some offensive line depth, usually crucial in a spring league. A Maryland product, Ayedze was a regional allocation to the Defenders. While D.C. returns many players from 2025, it's offensive tackles are all new, so Ayedze wasn't stuck behind holdovers from last year. One wonders if the team is potentially overpaying for familiarity.
Grade: B
Houston gets: OT Gottlieb Ayedze
Earlier this week, Houston Head Coach Kevin Sumlin talked to the media about the importance of the relationships formed while he was in the college game, and how that can influence the player acquisition process. Sumlin and Ayedze's time at the University of Maryland crossed over in 2023 when Sumlin was Assistant Head Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator. Clearly, Sumlin liked what he saw then. Houston appears thin at tackle, and Sumlin mentioned in the same conference call that some linemen, like tackle Kellen Diesch, have been tried with success on the interior. If that's the case, a spot at tackle would open up. If you have the chance to get someone with recent NFL experience like Ayedze, I can see why Houston would do so.
The Gamblers' receiver room has players who can stretch the field in Jontre Kirklin and Jalen Moreno-Cropper. Whether by design or necessity, Coordinator Eric Price's offense was not a down-the-field attacking system last year. Of the top five players in receptions for Houston last season, the highest yard-per-catch average belonged to Lawrence Keys III at just 10.5. Sanders's strengths may not fit the offense Houston is running.
Grade: B+