Redskins: Predicting the results of the 2018 NFL quarterback carousel
Washington Redskins: Alex Smith and Lamar Jackson
And finally, the Redskins. In this scenario, the Redskins would look to get a veteran stopgap while drafting a true successor to Kirk Cousins. That ended up with the team getting Alex Smith and Lamar Jackson.
Smith is a logical fit in Washington due to his great 50-26 regular season record and his ability to lead a functional, methodical offense. He’s not the same type of player that Cousins is, his arm isn’t as strong, but he rarely makes mistakes, and that could benefit the Redskins. Considering that Smith is on a deal that pays $18 million per year, that could end up being a solid replacement at a cost that wouldn’t be prohibitive of adding free agents in other areas of need.
The one question about this move would be, what will it take to acquire Smith? He’s not a free agent, so the Chiefs will try to trade him. In this scenario, the teams that would be most interested in Smith are the Redskins, the Broncos, and the Cardinals. Since the Broncos are in the Chiefs division, they can be ruled out. So, the Redskins would have to outbid the Cardinals for him. In all likelihood, a Day 2 pick in 2018 or 2019 would get the job done. But if it becomes a bidding war, the Redskins are better off signing whichever veteran is left on the market when all the big money names are gone. But in this scenario, they do land Smith.
Then, in the draft, the Redskins would only draft a first round guy if they are in position to do so. In this projection, they were in place to choose Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, but I give the edge to the former. Allen is a raw prospect who will need a lot of coaching to be a quality player. Jackson needs to be coached, but he has more explosive, game changing ability and is a dual threat quarterback. Some will shudder at the thought of him being the next RG3, but he’s a different player. Jackson has a great attitude and will work hard to become a strong pro.
Still, Jackson will have to work to bulk up a bit to avoid injuries, and to improve his accuracy. His bowl game demonstrated his tendency to overthrow receivers, and he will have to work on that. Playing behind Smith, he will have at least a year to work that out until he’s ready to take over. This would potentially set the Redskins up for long-term success.
Next: Why Alex Smith could replace Kirk Cousins if he walks
At the end of the day, these are all just projections. But, the moves make sense for all the teams. And for the Redskins, if they end up with Smith and Jackson after losing Cousins, that wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize at all. We will have to keep an eye on the quarterback market as more news and rumors come out about each player involved.