Yesterday, 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins was placed on waivers after multiple issues on and off the field this season. Today, Haskins went unclaimed and is free to sign with whatever team he wants. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, teams have already expressed interest in Haskins. With him out of the picture, what’s next for the Washington Football Team at the quarterback position?
Former WFT QB Dwayne Haskins went unclaimed today on waivers, per source.
Haskins is now free to sign wherever there’s interest, and there are teams that already have expressed some, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 29, 2020
The team is hopeful Alex Smith can play Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles in a must-win game after missing the last two with a calf injury. If Smith can’t play, Taylor Heinicke will get the start. After the season, Washington will need to address the quarterback position, both for the 2021 season and beyond. Smith will turn 37 years old in May and is under contract through the 2022 season, while Heinicke is a free agent after this season. Between Smith’s age and injury history, it’s clear the long term answer at quarterback currently isn’t on the roster.
According to Over the Cap, Washington projects to have $48 million in cap space. They can open up another $14.7 million by releasing Smith and removing his $23.3 million cap hit. With potentially almost $63 million in cap space, Washington is in a position to spend a big chunk of that money on upgrading the quarterback position. However, signing a veteran or making a splash trade isn’t the only way to upgrade the position.
NFL Draft Options
If Washington loses to the Eagles Sunday night, the highest they could pick is 11th overall. At that slot, Washington could be in the mix for Trey Lance and would only be a handful of picks away from potentially drafting Zach Wilson. With an extra third-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers in their deal for Trent Williams last year, Washington will have four selections in the top 80 picks if they miss the playoffs.
However, if Washington wins Sunday night and makes the playoffs, the highest they could pick would be 19th overall. They would pick in that slot if they lose in the first round of the playoffs. Given they will likely face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round, Washington likely will end up with a top-20 selection. With the 19th pick, Washington would have to use at least one of their Day 2 picks to move up to select Wilson or Lance. If they make the playoffs, the more likely route is to draft a quarterback like Mac Jones or Desmond Ridder on Day 2 and bring back Smith as the bridge quarterback for next season.
Trade Options
Fans will want Washington to go after a big fish trade target. However, several of the potential names won’t work out for cap reasons. Both the Atlanta Falcons and Eagles could trade Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz this offseason. However, given their contracts, trading them would create a massive dead cap hit. With the salary cap expected to take a massive drop this season, both teams will find it hard to take on that big of a cap hit, meaning both likely don’t get moved.
There were rumors that the 49ers could move on from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but Kyle Shanahan stated earlier this week that he expects Garoppolo back next season. While those three aren’t realistic options, there are several potential trade targets for Washington.
Matthew Stafford
Last season, the Lions entertained the idea of taking Tua Tagovailoa third overall and moving on from Stafford. With a new front office and coaching staff coming in next season, the Lions could decide to use their top-10 pick on their next franchise quarterback. If they do, trading Stafford for draft picks to jump-start their rebuilding process. Washington has a win-now defense and several impact pieces on offense. Adding Stafford would push the team and give them their franchise quarterback for the next five years.
Derek Carr
Carr has played well this season, but the Raiders will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. The Raiders have added several young weapons to their offense over the last few seasons, and Jon Gruden may feel the team’s ceiling is limited with Carr. They could decide to take a quarterback in the draft class or trade for a veteran like Stafford, making Carr expendable. Washington could add Carr and upgrade at their quarterback position without committing long term to him.
Gardner Minshew
After the Jets won back-to-back games, the Jaguars are locked into the top draft slot and will draft Trevor Lawrence. Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals had the top pick and selected Joe Burrow. They immediately made him their Week 1 starter, so expect the Jaguars to do similar with Lawrence. With the rookie starting from Week 1, the Jaguars could trade Minshew and add to their league-high 11 draft picks. Minshew has two years left on his rookie deal and has played well at times as the starter. Washington would be able to add Minshew with limited impact on their cap space and have him compete with Smith for the starting job at the very least.
Sam Darnold
Speaking of the Jets, now that they are out of the race for Lawrence, the Jets may decide to give Darnold one last chance to prove he’s their franchise quarterback next season. If they decide to take Penei Sewell with their top pick and give Darnold one last chance, he won’t be an option for Washington. If they decide to take Justin Field or Wilson with the second overall pick, that would make Darnold expendable. While Darnold hasn’t played up to his draft status, the Jets haven’t given him a fair shot. With Smith as the bridge quarterback/co-starter, Darnold could be a cheaper trade target that gives Washington, potentially their next franchise quarterback.
Free Agent Options
There are several interesting free-agent options for Washington this offseason. The biggest fish would be Dak Prescott, but every indication is the Dallas Cowboys will either sign Dak to a long term deal or place the franchise tag on him again this year. As much as the Washington fan base wants Dak, he isn’t a realistic option.
With his ties to Ron Rivera, some think Cam Newton could be the starter in Washington next season. However, if Rivera wanted Newton, he would have traded for him last offseason. After his play in New England this season, the fans should burn down FedEx field if Newton is signed to replace Smith.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzmagic has played well this season, both as the starter and coming in for Tua. He wasn’t happy about his benching earlier this season, and at 38 years old, Fitzpatrick is still playing at a high level. For Washington, he wouldn’t solve the long term problem but would be a cheaper and healthier version of Smith. Plus, he has success helping young quarterbacks in a mentor role and would be an excellent bridge gap option for a Day 2 rookie quarterback.
Andy Dalton
After spending nine years as the starter in Cincinnati, Dalton became the most important backup quarterback in the league this year in Dallas. With Prescott missing 11 games because of injury, Dalton has shown that he has plenty left in the tank. Much like Fitzpatrick, Dalton wouldn’t be the long term option in Washington but would provide a veteran bridge gap option with starting experience at a cheaper price than Smith.
Mitchell Trubisky
Earlier in the season, Trubisky looked clear on his way to a career backup role. However, over the last several weeks, Trubisky has played the best football of his career. That might be enough to earn him a starting role in Chicago or somewhere else. Given his recent success combined with Nick Foles‘ struggles this season, Trubisky could end up playing the 2021 season on the franchise tag for the Bears.
Philip Rivers
After a down 2019 season in Los Angeles, Rivers bounced back this season. While his contract is up after this season, Colts’ head coach Frank Reich has stated that the Colts believe Rivers has a few more good years left in him and wants him back. Even if Rivers hits the market, he’s an unlikely target for Washington given his age and likely contract demands.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Washington will have to make a decision this offseason about the future of the quarterback position. Smith could be the starter in 2021, but the team must find their heir apparent now that Haskins is out of the picture. If they miss the playoffs, Washington is more likely to select a quarterback than if they make the playoffs. My best guess is Washington will keep Smith around in 2021 and pick a quarterback on Day 2 of the NFL draft. However, trading for Stafford would be the smartest move the team can make.
Smith playing this season is nothing short of the ideal feel-good story that rightfully should win him the Comeback Player of the Year award. However, Smith has been an average quarterback for most of his career. At soon to be 37 years old with his injury history, Washington is banking next season’s success on a massive unknown. While Smith deserves a lot of credit for Washington’s success this season, now is the time to add a true franchise quarterback in Stafford. With Stafford under center, Washington would have a true franchise quarterback that can take them to the playoffs, both in 2021 and for the next several years.
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