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Washington is confronted with a number of main questions — Who’s the quarterback of the long run? Who would be the basic supervisor? — together with a number of essential ones on the periphery, together with which large receivers will complement Terry McLaurin and the way the group will use its wealth of wage cap house.
Who’s the long-term reply at quarterback?
Washington doesn’t seem to have a long-term reply at soccer’s most place. Even when some mixture of Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen returns subsequent season, the group should choose a long-term choice to pair with a younger and bettering core.
There’s no clear path to a brand new QB1, and Washington’s choices are restricted. Anybody obtainable by way of commerce or free company could have flaws or value lots (or each) — and Washington, with the nineteenth decide, is unlikely to be in place to draft a first-tier quarterback.
In a commerce, the likeliest choices appear to be Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford. The New York Jets haven’t determined whether or not they’ll transfer on from Darnold, however Wentz is anticipated to request a commerce within the offseason, in keeping with a number of experiences. But Wentz’s present contract — $31 million-plus for the subsequent 4 seasons — makes the logistics tough. Detroit may transfer on from Stafford if its new regime decides to overtake the roster, and he’s a confirmed veteran who, at 32, may very well be interesting for Washington.
The free company pool is skinny. Dak Prescott may hit the open market, but it surely’s attainable Dallas retains him — both with the franchise tag for a second time or a contract extension. If Prescott hits free company, he’s prone to command a mean annual worth of the mid-$30 hundreds of thousands, despite the fact that he’s coming off a extreme ankle harm. Cam Newton and Jameis Winston are two different starter-level choices.
Within the draft, Washington is prone to be out of place for the highest 4 quarterback prospects: Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. However the group may commerce up for one in all them, or goal the second tier, which incorporates Florida’s Kyle Trask and Alabama’s Mac Jones.
What’s the future for Alex Smith?
The 36-year-old’s inspiring story took an unlucky flip Saturday evening when he was inactive due to a calf pressure in his surgically repaired proper leg. The lingering harm over the previous 4 weeks casts extra doubt on whether or not Smith might be again as Washington’s starter subsequent season.
The quarterback now faces three attainable futures. He may return to Washington, but it surely’s possible he must restructure his contract, which owes him $48.6 million over the subsequent two years. Washington may launch him with none substantial monetary penalty, or he may retire. This final possibility appears likelier now than it did when Smith was rolling towards the top of the yr, main Washington to a 5-1 document in his begins.
When requested not too long ago what he would take into account after the season when evaluating his future, Smith joked, “Apart from my spouse’s opinion?”
Will the group rent a basic supervisor?
One of the crucial essential choices Rivera will make this offseason is whether or not he’ll rent a basic supervisor. It’s unclear what the position would appear to be alongside Rivera, whom proprietor Daniel Snyder as soon as known as “the one voice” of the group as its chief of soccer operations.
“I’m not going to speak about our GM scenario,” Rivera mentioned Dec. 21. “All that stuff, all that personnel stuff and every part, that’s going to be addressed as soon as the season is over.”
Some names have already been speculated as potential candidates due to their connection to Rivera and/or the group. They embrace Kyle Smith, the group’s present senior vice chairman of participant personnel; former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney; and San Francisco 49ers vice chairman of participant personnel Martin Mayhew. The group had not requested interviews with anybody to fill its GM opening as of Friday, in keeping with an individual with data of the scenario.
Will Washington spend massive in free company?
The group will enter this offseason with about $42 million in wage cap house, the fifth most within the league, according to Over The Cap. Washington may create extra by restructuring massive contracts — maybe these of Smith or security Landon Collins.
However even when these contracts stay the identical, there are a number of methods to make use of $42 million. The group may dedicate most of it to a quarterback, similar to Prescott, or goal a prime receiver to improve the offense. If there are high quality cornerbacks or linebackers obtainable for the proper worth, as cornerback Kendall Fuller was final yr, it will make sense to solidify these positions. There’s additionally an opportunity they might use a few of it to present present gamers new contracts, similar to defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.
How will Washington use its first-round decide?
The reply to this query is prone to rely upon free company. If Washington misses on a quarterback or receiver, it may goal one at No. 19.
Can the group construct a stable offense to enhance its protection?
There are various questions beneath this umbrella, even after Washington settles on a quarterback plan. Does the group re-sign proper guard Brandon Scherff? Can it discover a receiver to pair with McLaurin? Who’s the answer at left sort out?
Begin with the receivers. It’s attainable Cam Sims is usually a complement, however as the previous couple of weeks of the season confirmed, Washington’s offense wants one other prime possibility. JuJu Smith-Schuster shouldn’t be anticipated to re-sign with Pittsburgh, and Chicago’s Allen Robinson and Detroit’s Marvin Jones Jr. are anticipated to be close to the highest of the market. The draft can also be an possibility.
Subsequent is Scherff. It appears possible the perimeters will work one thing out as a result of the fifth decide of the 2015 draft has maintained all alongside he desires to remain, and free company is as unsure as ever with the wage cap projected to lower. However Scherff may very well be costly. Up to now few weeks, he has been named a first-team all-pro, a Professional Bowl decide and the group’s Ed Block Braveness Award winner. The league’s highest-paid proper guards, Philadelphia’s Brandon Brooks and Dallas’s Zack Martin, every earn about $14 million per yr.
The final query on the offensive line is left sort out. Washington may have an inside competitors subsequent summer time between Geron Christian, this season’s starter; Cornelius Lucas, who performed nicely after Christian suffered a season-ending knee harm in Week 6; and Saahdiq Charles, the fourth-rounder drafted because the hopeful left sort out of the long run in April.
Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske contributed to this report.
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