Top QBs Washington Football Team Must Target in Offseason

It's difficult not to consider Ron Rivera's first season as Washington Football Team head coach a success. Despite experiencing a lack of cohesion at the all-important quarterback position, Rivera still coached Washington to an NFC East title and a playoff berth.

Of course, the quarterback questions still linger heading into the offseason. The 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins has been jettisoned, Taylor Heinicke is set to be a free agent and veteran Alex Smith may or may not be back for another run in 2021.

Targeting a quarterback with the 19th pick in the draft is, of course, an option, but Washington would be foolish to assume any rookie signal-caller will be ready to start right away.

Adding Smith and Heinicke are possible bridge options, but the Football Team must start targeting other alternatives for free agency. There's no guarantee either incumbent quarterback will return.

Projected to have more than $22 million in cap space, Washington can likely afford to bring in a new Week 1 starter this offseason. While these aren't all potential long-term answers, here are a few quarterback options the team should target heading into free agency.

Deshaun Watson

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The first option Washington must consider is trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Pro Bowler has not asked for a trade yet, but such a power play could be pending.

"He just wants out," a source close to Watson said, per Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated.

If Watson does make his way to the trade market, Washington should be ready to pounce. Such a move would be costly, but it could set up the team for a lengthy run of NFC East dominance.

Yes, not having a first-round pick for the next several years would be problematic, but he would be worth the price. If Rivera can coach the current roster to a division title with Haskins, Smith and Heinicke under center, he could likely coach Washington to multiple deep playoff runs with the Texans star.

After all, the Clemson product is a three-time Pro Bowler who just led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards. He's also just 25 years old. In the NFL, if you can get a quarterback of Watson's caliber, you do it.

Cam Newton

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Landing Watson would solidify Washington's quarterback position for the next decade-plus. Signing pending free agent Cam Newton wouldn't serve the same purpose, but it could help the team navigate the 2021 season and/or bridge the gap to a rookie quarterback.

The 31-year-old wasn't great in 2020 with the New England Patriots. He threw for just 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions, though he did also rush for 592 yards and 12 scores. That's wasn't good enough to push the Patriots into the postseason, but it might be with Washington.

At the very least, Newton would be a quality bridge option or short-term starter. Rivera has extensive experience with the former No. 1 overall pick after their time together with the Panthers, and he would know as well as anyone how to get the most out of his skill set.

Newton would likely have to take the job knowing he would be a temporary starter, but it's not a situation he seems altogether opposed to.

"I understand that if given the opportunity, there's nobody better than me. That's how I will always feel. I have to also feel realistic about the opportunity that's presented as well. So who knows if it takes being a backup..." he told WEEI Radio (h/t Chris Mason of MassLive.com).

Jameis Winston

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Rivera spent several years facing Jameis Winston in the NFC South when he was the Carolina Panthers head coach and the quarterback played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now with the New Orleans Saints, the signal-caller sits out there as a potential long-term answer or a stopgap, depending on Rivera's view.

The bottom line is that while Winston has had an interception problem, he's also a 27-year-old quarterback with 70 pro starts and 19,812 passing yards on his resume. He would be a clear upgrade over Haskins and a potential franchise signal-caller if Rivera could correct his turnover issue.

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Saints would like to bring back Winston for the 2021 season, but it is projected to be more than $99 million over the cap.

Winston is a quarterback Washington must target. Whether a long-term answer or a stopgap at the position, he could be a valuable asset for Rivera and his team moving forward.

Cap and contract information via Spotrac.