Rumors: Redskins have interest in Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta
The Washington Redskins have to add a younger quarterback to develop during the 2018 NFL Draft. One of their potential options should be Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta.
When the Washington Redskins elected to trade for Alex Smith and (likely) let Kirk Cousins walk in free agency, the team made a decision about the future of their franchise. Had Cousins been signed to a long-term deal, the team wouldn’t have necessarily had to find a successor for him in the 2018 NFL Draft.
But with Smith turning 34 in the offseason, the team has to make sure that they have some young depth developing behind Smith in case he does begin to regress. That is unlikely to happen early in his new five-year deal, but it’s still a possibility. Right now, the Redskins have only the 31-year-old Colt McCoy as their backup. And while he’s a very strong player and arguably one of the better backups in the league, he doesn’t have a lot of upside left, and is likely best suited for the role he is in.
Because of this, the team is going to have to start looking hard at some of the quarterbacks that will be available on Days 2 and 3 of the draft. According to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, the team might have interest in a local product: Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta.
#NFL combine prep.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) February 26, 2018
2. Aside from the big name QBs, two to watch: #Richmond‘s Kyle Lauletta and #WSU’s Luke Falk. A few teams looking to develop a future starter like the pair. One to note, #Redskins’ President Bruce Allen is a Richmond guy. Said to be very familiar w/ Lauletta.
Lauletta was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl game, performing well and winning the game MVP award, and did a lot to help his draft stock this week. Given Bruce Allen’s connection to Richmond, Lauletta could get some consideration as the team’s developmental pick in the mid-rounds of the draft.
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Lauletta was impressive during his senior season at Richmond, showing solid accuracy and throwing for 3,737 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 picks. Granted, he was at a lower-level school, but he still was a quality performer and did well at the Senior Bowl. So, being on the Redskins radar makes sense.
That said, selecting Lauletta won’t necessarily be easy for the team. They lack a third round pick because of the trade to acquire Smith, and it’s possible that Lauletta will work himself into third round consideration. Right now, WalterFootball.com’s Walter Cherepinsky has Lauletta going No. 84 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers in his 2018 NFL Mock draft, though that will be subject to change with his Tuesday update.
It’s looking likely that Lauletta is going to end up being a Round 3-5 prospect. The Redskins will have a shot at him but given the value that is currently placed on quarterbacks, it’s possible he could be gone before their fourth round pick. They may end up having to trade down from their second round pick or trade up from their fourth round pick if they want Lauletta. Either way, the team will have to do something if they really like the potential third round pick.
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It’s too early to tell where Lauletta will end up, but if the Redskins do have interest, they will have a decision to make with their Day 2 draft pick. They appear to be out of range to get Lauletta right now, but that could change quickly. Depending on how Lauletta does at the Combine, he could move up or down the draft board. For now, he is a very intriguing developmental candidate.