Nate Sudfeld May Not Be Solidified As Developmental Option For Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins have some unanswered questions at the quarterback position moving forward. One of them involves second year pro Nate Sudfeld, the team’s third string quarterback.

Right now, there is not a lot that is known about that Washington Redskins quarterbacks. The one certain thing is that the franchise wants Kirk Cousins to be their long term option. They placed the franchise tag on Cousins for the second straight season, but Cousins has been put off by the team’s reluctance to pay him a lucrative, long term deal. As a result, it is unknown if he will stay past the 2017 season, and that has raised some questions about the team’s stability at the position.

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Because of the uncertain nature of Cousins’ future, many expect that the Redskins may take a developmental prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft. That would provide them some insurance in case Cousins decides to leave. However, the Redskins are already three deep at quarterback, so adding a fourth would likely mean one would have a foot out the door. In all likelihood, that would be Nate Sudfeld.

Sudfeld was a sixth round pick by the Redskins during the 2016 NFL Draft. He was a player that General Manager Scot McCloughan really liked, and he was supposed to be the developmental guy to work with behind Cousins. Sudfeld spent the season as the team’s No. 3 quarterback and was a staple on the inactives list. The goal was always for Sudfeld to get some seasoning, and keeping him on the 53-man roster allowed him to do that.

One would think that since the Redskins invested a resource in to Sudfeld, he may be safe for another year. However, that does not appear to be the case. Sudfeld has not had the opportunity to show much, save for the fourth preseason game, but the current front office may not be sold on him. In fact, ESPN’s John Keim said the following of the team’s interest in Sudfeld:

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"Scot McCloughan was high on [Sudfeld’s] potential but not everyone shared the same vision of last year’s sixth-round pick. In other words, Sudfeld still has a lot to show that he could indeed be a future starter."

If that is indeed true, the current man in charge, Bruce Allen, may decide to part ways with Sudfeld and bring on his own developmental quarterback. Sudfeld very well could have been McCloughan’s man, and that would not bode well for his future with the Redskins if he was.

Allen has a track record of bringing in his own quarterbacks, as he did during the Robert Griffin III draft when the team selected Cousins in the fourth round. Safe to say, the selection of Cousins actually panned out well. A couple of mid-late round quarterbacks that could interest the Redskins include Nathan Peterman of Pittsburgh, Davis Webb of California, and Chad Kelly of Ole Miss, who I have the Redskins taking in the seventh round of our most recent mock draft.

Still, the chances of the Redskins taking a quarterback hinge on Cousins. If they can get somewhere in negotiations with him, then they will nix drafting a passer. If not, then they may pursue one. With 10 picks, the team can afford to have a luxury pick, provided that they first improve their defense.

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At the end of the day, even if the Redskins do draft a quarterback, they would likely just be the third stringer in 2017. Drafting a quarterback would likely come at the cost of Sudfeld’s future, so it will be interesting to see if the team shows any faith in the young quarterback’s development.

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