The Washington Redskins will probably be the subject of many trade rumors leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft. As of mid-February, here are a few trade partners that could make sense for the team.
Any time a team needs a quarterback, they are going to be involved in trade rumors. That’s just the fact of the matter in the NFL. With a dearth of high-level talent at the position, teams often have to invest extra in order to get one of the league’s true game-changers. This is becoming especially true of rookie quarterbacks, as teams are realizing it’s easier to build a team with a passer on a scaled rookie contract as opposed to a bloated long-term extension.
This year, the Redskins are going to be one of the teams searching for a quarterback. In the aftermath of the Alex Smith injury, the team is going to be looking for a successor in the draft. It’s unclear when they will take one, but the first round remains a possibility.
If the ‘Skins want a first-round quarterback, they may have to trade up to get one. That will make them subject to the aforementioned trade rumors. However, the team could also elect to eschew the QB position and maybe even trade down to build up the rest of their squad. Simply put, they have a lot of options with the No. 15 pick.
It’s still early in draft season, but here’s a look at a few teams that could be trading partners with the Redskins in the 2019 NFL Draft.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are armed with the ninth pick in this draft, but they could stand to add talent to a lot of places on their team. Their offense desperately needs an overhaul to build around quarterback Josh Allen. They could also use some defensive line talent.
While both of these positions could be on the board when the Bills are picking, it may behoove them to trade down. Essentially, the only positions they don’t need help at come at quarterback, in the secondary, and at linebacker. They could add as many as three quality blockers on the offensive line and will need a couple more receiving threats as well.
If the Bills don’t see any superior value at the No. 9 spot, they may opt to trade down to add another Day 2 pick to their arsenal. They could still be in position to land one of Jonah Williams, Cody Ford, or another tackle prospect they like. Additionally, there will be plenty of defensive players available and the 15th spot will be a better fit for D.K. Metcalf than the No. 9 spot.
Meanwhile, the Redskins would likely make this type of trade if they had to leapfrog the Broncos to get a quarterback. If two of the top four quarterbacks were off the board, the Redskins might worry that they won’t get a top guy if the Broncos, Bengals, and Dolphins all have interest in passers. That is unclear as of the moment, but if it got to that point, trading up with the Bills would make a lot of sense for the ‘Skins.
For now, this is just hypothetical and is probably a weaker trading spot than the other two possibilities on this list. Still, trading down would make sense for the Bills and if Washington needs to trade up, they could be a sensible partner.
2. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have the most moving power of any team in the 2019 NFL Draft. The reason? They have three first-round picks. That will allow them to control the opening frame while giving them an opportunity to move up and down the board as they please.
The logical connection between the Raiders and the Redskins has been in existence for the better part of the last year. Once Jon Gruden was hired to be the Raiders’ head coach, the doorway for him to make transactions with his brother and Redskins head coach, Jay. Nothing has really come of that yet, but this could be the time to capitalize on that.
For starters, the Raiders have the fourth pick in the draft. The Redskins could try to acquire that selection if they want to move up for a quarterback. That may not ultimately happen, as that would take Oakland out of position to potentially land a high-quality edge rusher, but it’s something that the Raiders could consider doing.
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However, the other picks the Raiders own — Nos. 24 and 27 — could come more into play for the ‘Skins. They could try to trade down from the 15th spot if they don’t like how the board shakes out. If the Raiders are interested in a prospect in that range, they could package them together and offer them to Washington. That would give the ‘Skins a chance to add two quality players and potentially address two of their many positions of need (safety, offensive guard, wide receiver, and edge rusher being the primary ones).
Our own Ian Cummings recently took a look at what a trade down with the Raiders could look like for the Redskins. Check out his NFL mock draft to see who they landed!
And even if Washington doesn’t trade down with Oakland, they could package some of their mid-round picks or even a future first to get back into the first round if a player they like slips. Whenever a team has immense moving power like the Raiders do, they have to be watched as a potential trade partner.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Redskins are hell-bent on adding a quarterback in the first round, they will almost certainly have to trade up to get one. There are simply too many teams in the back half of the top-10 that could consider adding quarterbacks. Add in the Dolphins and Bengals at 11 and 13, and it’s possible that the team could miss on all four quarterbacks if they stay at 15.
The Buccaneers are in the best spot to trade down in this entire draft. With none of the top-five teams needing quarterbacks, the Giants (sixth-overall) are the only squad that teams would have to leapfrog. Of course, it’s possible that teams in the top-five could trade down, but for now, the Bucs look most likely to do so.
The Bucs have a ton of needs on their team, but their most pressing come at left tackle, defensive tackle, and running back. Secondary and linebacker help could be added too. However, there aren’t a ton of particularly great values at these positions with the No. 5 pick. Thus, the team could move down into the teens, pick up some extra draft capital, and continue to build their team around Jameis Winston under new head coach Bruce Arians.
A trade between Washington and Tampa Bay would ensure the Redskins could get the quarterback of their choice which, at this point, looks like Daniel Jones. Meanwhile, the Bucs could add an offensive tackle like Jonah Williams, the top defensive tackle on the board (potentially Ed Oliver or Christian Wilkins), or they could add a guy like Josh Jacobs at running back. They would have many options to fill their biggest needs, so this possibility certainly can’t be discounted.
Fans may not like to see Washington trade up, but it’s well within the realm of possibility that they do. It will be interesting to see if they end up being among the teams that tries to climb the board to get their favorite QB.