Free Agency Preview 2021: Quarterbacks
The Washington Football Team’s most pressing need by far is at quarterback. Rivera showed his hand immediately after the Detroit Lions formally put quarterback Matthew Stafford on the trade block. Rivera reportedly put together a trade package that could have landed Stafford for Washington’s 2021 first-round pick and their 2021 third-round pick. As far as trade targets go, there has been nothing else officially reported that would indicate that Washington will make a play for a quarterback under contract. Nevertheless, we know that they are willing to pay for a competent quarterback, regardless of him being the short-term or long-term solution.
There will be plenty of discussion of draft prospects over the next couple of months, but we talk free agent targets for now. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim, as there are only two free-agent quarterbacks that I believe are worth investing in if they do not re-sign with their current teams.
The 39 year old quarterback continues to wow people with his sparkplug capabilities; hence his nickname “Fitzmagic.” Going back to 2015, which was the start of his career resurgence, his record isn’t impressive. However, his “gamer” mentality and knowledge of various offenses make his value, even at 39 years old, pretty good. In 20 games with the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick completed 64 percent of his passes, 5,620 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. It’s not a ringing endorsement for Super Bowl contention with Fitzpatrick as your quarterback, but if Washington is looking for a competent distributor of the football who will give opportunities to the playmakers, he is a guy who can hold you down for one year.
I would bet that Jameis Winston is the scariest name to some Washington fans, which, to be honest, is pretty fair. Here’s what many are missing when assessing Winston as a free agent target: Winston still has a pretty high ceiling. Washington needs a pure quarterback, one who knows the nuances of how to play the position and can make all of the throws and maneuver in the pocket when pressure is coming down on him. Winston is that guy and has been able to function in the league since his rookie season. Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, which is his interceptions. There’s no denying that his touchdown to interception rate is on the high end, with his last season as a starter being at its highest. But when people begin to talk about the 2019 season for Jameis, they fail to mention that he led the league in passing yards and threw 33 touchdowns.
Winston’s intrigue exists because of what he provides as a passer, especially if he can reduce the forced passes and incorporate more patience on a drive-by-drive basis. It is the main reason his current team, the New Orleans Saints, are very determined to try and re-sign him as their quarterback. Unlike Fitzpatrick, who is only a placeholder for a team until they can find their quarterback, Winston can be a placeholder, but he is also young enough to correct his mistakes and potentially become a franchise quarterback. For Washington, if Winston does take offers from other teams, they need to be in the running for him.
Other Free Agency notes
There are quite a few quarterbacks in this free agency class who are notable, and Washington may target. Especially quarterbacks with more mobility. However, again, you must remember that they need a competent passer who can help create balance in offensive coordinator Scott Turner‘s offense. Can you say without a shadow of a doubt that quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor, Mitchell Trubisky, Cam Newton, Nick Mullens, or Jacoby Brissett are capable of doing that? I can’t, but I definitely can for Winston and Fitzpatrick.