Although Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and expanded Taylor Heinicke out of season, the team in need remains in the sport’s prime position. The franchise may be willing to trade in for a quarterback.
Ron Rivera Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com is interested in standing up for a passerby. Washington is believed to be high Trey Lance, but there may be a catch. The WFT isn’t too interested in giving up a mountain of design capital to climb from No. 19 to No. 4, but Pauline notes that a quarterback slipping to 8th place would be attractive to the franchise. However, a climb to Falcons Castle No. 4 should not be ruled out entirely.
Three QBs will be gone by number 3, and the Falcons are in the game to select the fourth. No concept has started with four consecutive quarterbacks going off the board, and the Falcons are interested in sharing the board, too. However, many believe that Atlanta will choose Kyle PittsThe Bengals won’t be taking a quarterback and don’t sound too interested in trading their No. 5 slot. Trading for the Broncos (No. 9) would suit Washington, and it will be interesting to see if the Panthers (No. 8) pull the trigger on the fourth or fifth QB prospect. That scenario is not off the table, even after Carolina took over Sam Darnold, although the Panthers are now emerging as a team that could trade that.
Washington may also have to compete with the Bears, although Pauline adds that in addition to trade-in rumors, they will be in the mix for a second-round quarterback. It took the 49ers two future first-round picks and a 2021 third-rounder to move up nine slots this year. Should any of the top five QBs slide to the bottom of the top 10, given the value these passers-by carry, it would still require significant effort. If Lance isn’t the 49ers’ pick at 3 a.m., Washington could decide to take action. Justin Fields is also expected to be available after issue 3.
Rivera said on Friday that the team’s off-season moves – such as signing Fitzpatrick, Curtis Samuel and William Jackson – created more flexibility in design.
I think [execs] Martin [Mayhew] and Marty [Hurney] and their guys really put us in a position where we really have to look at drafting the best player available but always keep in mind what we feel is the real need, ”Said Rivera via NBC Sports Washington.I think what our front office did and what we could do in free agency really helped us. I think we liberated ourselves because of what they did
Washington has signed Fitzpatrick for 2021; he turns 39 later this year. Heinicke is signed through 2022, and Kyle Allen could also be under team control during the ’22 season. He is associated with an ERFA tender. However, none of these player profiles as a long-term option. Washington, after missing its last two attempts to get a true QB fix (Alex Smith Dwayne Haskins), would be keen to address the problem in Rivera’s second draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.