One of a few teams linked to trading up for a quarterback in Round 1, Washington stood pat. Both the Bears and Patriots ended up landing potential franchise passers, with Chicago moving up nine spots to do so. Ryan Fitzpatrick remains Washington’s top quarterback.
Washington ended up staying at No. 19 and drafting linebacker Jamin Davis, but the team discussed making a jump to address its QB spot as well as drafting a later-round passer.
“Both those situations we had conversations [about]. We liked a couple of those young quarterbacks a lot; that was a consideration,” Ron Rivera said, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (on Twitter). “The thing that always seemed to just kind of make us step back and think about it was the draft capital we’d have to give up.
“So as we kept debating it was always, ‘Well, let’s take one more look.’ Let’s see if he falls again.’ At the right number, it would have been something we could have done.”
The Bears sent the Giants three picks (other than No. 20) — their 2022 first-rounder, along with a 2021 fifth and a 2022 fourth — to move up for Justin Fields, while the Patriots stayed at No. 15 to select Mac Jones. Although the Cowboys and Eagles agreed to a first-round deal, it was a lower-level exchange involving only a third-round pick. The Giants, who entered the draft having not traded down in Round 1 in 15 years, almost certainly would not have agreed to allow Washington to move up eight spots for a quarterback.
Washington would have needed to part with a similar package — or a slightly lesser one — to climb up into the low teens for Jones. But Trey Lance was the passer the team was linked to ahead of the draft. Rivera appeared to confirm as such.
“The guy we talked about waiting on ended up getting taken early,” the second-year Washington HC said. “So when those two guys left, then we just felt, ‘OK, hey we’re going to stick with what we got. We got a group of young guys, led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, that we think we can develop and be guys that can be very good football players for us.”
Linked to Jones for weeks, the 49ers ended up taking Lance at No. 3. Considering Jones lasted until No. 15, Fields may well have been the other potential Washington target. But going into the draft, the team was not believed to be especially eager to part with too many assets in a trade-up scenario. The defending NFC East champs ended up tabling their long-term QB solution, as the Broncos did at No. 9.
Washington gave Fitzpatrick a one-year deal and re-signed Taylor Heinicke on a two-year pact. The team also retained Kyle Allen as an ERFA. While a major quarterback need remains for the future, this looks like the team’s 2021 quarterback picture.
I was listening to WFT Twitter, talk that Next year’s QB class ~Similarly as strong? I feel ~okay trusting RR to continue to Cook with ‘His’ plan!!
They should check to see what GB wants. Add a real QB there to go w/ that D and it’s playoff time.
Good point…doesn’t sound like Rodgers wants to move East but it would really show how badly he wants to leave GB.
Yeah, depending on what they gave up, they’d instantly be a 10+ win team, especially in that division. Although I don’t think they have the assets to acquire Rodgers.
The assets they’d have to give up would take a piece or two off that dLine as well as draft capital
Yep, which is why I don’t think they’d do it. They don’t have multiple 1sts or own anyone else’s first, so they’d have to give up too much from their current team to make it worthwhile. In other words, I don’t think they have the assets.
I thought the rumors were that Washington was already interested, very interested?
Bears gave up a lot, and both those guys maybe fired at the end of the year so they went Yolo.
Outside of the first, a 4th round and a 5th round isn’t exactly a lot. It’s not like they traded 2 firsts and other picks to move up.
Fields was second best QB in this draft. Not a fan of giving up a 1 but he will be a franchise QB the cost will be worth it.
If Mac Jones had fallen to 19 the Redskins should have taken him. Otherwise, the draft capital involved in moving up would render any successful move a Pyrrhic victory.
No rush to take a QB. A single 7-9 season resulting in the recipiency of the NFC East title (I will not call it a win) has many of my fellow WFT fans wanting to move too quickly.
In any other division they probably would have been a 4-12 team. Priority one should be fixing that turnstile they call an OL. Once that is upgraded they can start thinking about finding a QB who can be a long term asset.
The line is already looking better, which means the existing backs and the three competent if unspectacular QB’s on the roster should be able to get most of the job done. Much less personnel bleed without a $40 million QB contract wreaking havoc with salaries for every other positional group.
Is next year’s QB any good? I’ve heard both that is going to be weak and strong.