Report: Redskins may be more interested in adding free agent quarterback

The Washington Redskins are going to add a quarterback to their roster this offseason at some point. Many anticipate it will be via the draft, but reportedly, they will have interest in free agent options.

Much like last season, we won’t know anything about the Redskins plans at the quarterback position until they happen. Late last January, the team traded for Alex Smith, which virtually guaranteed that Kirk Cousins would be leaving the team in free agency. This year, with Smith injured and likely out for 2019 (if not longer), the team is going to have to add some depth and competition at the position. The question now is, how?

Given that Alex Smith has roughly a $20 million cap hit this offseason, the Redskins are in a bit of a bind. They don’t have a lot of cap room and while they can open up some space via roster cuts, sinking such a high percentage of the cap into quarterback would thin out the rest of the roster. For that reason, many believe the team could have interest in selecting a quarterback early in the 2019 NFL Draft.

However, the possibility remains that the team could target a veteran stopgap, and NFL Network’s Steve Wyche is reporting that they seem more interested in adding a veteran at the moment. Here’s what he said in a recent segment on the NFL Network.

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"Every indication I got is [the Redskins] would probably be leaning more towards a free agent type of quarterback, at least to carry things until Colt McCoy could possibly come back or Alex Smith could come back…or get them through the season."

Wyche would go on to list the host of usual suspects that would qualify as a veteran fill-in. Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum, and Blake Bortles all fall into that category, and if the market doesn’t develop for starting quarterbacks (which is certainly within the realm of possibility) the Redskins could land one on the cheap. That may be a better solution for them moving forward.

This also would explain why the team apparently had interest in Joe Flacco. Though Flacco would have been extremely expensive from a monetary standpoint, it’s clear that the team wants to add a proven veteran who might have a chance to learn an offense quickly and keep the team afloat. Given the uncertain nature of Jay Gruden’s future, this would make sense.

Also, it’s worth noting that the 2019 NFL Draft is weak at the quarterback position. While there are a number of intriguing first-round options, they all come with significant flaws. The 2018 class was stronger, and the 2020 class is looking like a very strong one as well. The Redskins may be best served to build their roster this offseason while adding one of those stopgap veterans to compete with McCoy. That would make the 2019 season a tough one, but it could also accelerate their mini-rebuild and give them direction, which is something they sorely need.

dark. Next. Redskins First-Round Option - QB Drew Lock

Things may change, but if the Redskins get a veteran quarterback in the offseason, perhaps they won’t target one in the first round. Either way, keep an eye on that position in free agency, as a fringe starter could come to town in hopes of winning the starting job.

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