Redskins meet with quarterbacks of varying calibers at Senior Bowl

The Redskins are doing their homework on draft quarterbacks this offseason, but they saved their time for the Senior Bowl.

The East-West Shrine Game came and went, and the Washington Redskins, in need of a quarterback with Alex Smith sidelined, didn’t show considerable interest in the quarterbacks at the event. They didn’t meet with any, not even Brett Rypien.

The team’s initial disinterest did little to quell talks that they were looking for a new passer this offseason, however. And now, with the Senior Bowl festivities kicking off in Mobile, Alabama, we have confirmation that the Redskins are on the prowl for a young passer in the 2019 NFL Draft.

It’s still unclear what kinds of resources the Redskins are willing to spend, with Alex Smith locking down a trove of cap space, and multiple other first-round needs on the roster. But the Redskins aren’t pigeon-holing themselves into a specific range. They’ve met with quarterbacks of varying calibers so far at the Senior Bowl. Per J.P. Finlay, the Redskins arranged meetings with Duke’s Daniel Jones, Penn State’s Trace McSorley, and North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley.

Of those three quarterbacks, Jones is the most high-profile of the bunch by a good margin. A product of David Cutcliffe, who’s a renowned coach for his work developing Peyton Manning in the late 1990s, Jones has a fairly solid arm and good athleticism, and he showed more comfort with his progressions in 2018. That said, he didn’t always respond well to adversity in the heat of the moment, and accuracy downfield is a concern. He could ultimately climb into Round 1 with a solid Senior Bowl showing, but the Redskins are interested, nonetheless.

Behind Jones, Ryan Finley exists as a possible early Day 3 option. Finley was regarded as a hidden gem quarterback by some last year, but he failed to progress in his final season, and his lacking arm strength has some concerned if his upside is capped at NFL backup.

Rounding out the pack in this group of interviewees is Trace McSorley. The former Nittany Lion was a bowl game sensation a few years ago, but since then, his star has dimmed. McSorley never developed as a passer, and relied on his running ability far too often to be considered as a future NFL quarterback. If any team picks him, it will be late.

The Senior Bowl has more to offer to the Redskins, so expect to hear about more interviews in the coming days. Among the candidates? West Virginia’s Will Grier, who was a star in the NCAA, statistically; Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson, who is a monstrous 6-foot-7 signal caller with athleticism, and Jarrett Stidham, a late-round prospect who has just enough physical ability to be intriguing. Who do you want the Redskins next quarterback to be? Is he at the Senior Bowl?