Redskins coach Jay Gruden confirms team’s interest in top quarterbacks

Up until this point in the offseason, there’s been a lack of clarity surrounding the Redskins plans at quarterback. Now, we know why.

It’s because they haven’t committed to anything yet.

It’s a good thing, to keep one’s options open. And for as much criticism as they receive on a yearly basis, the Washington Redskins front office has done a good job keeping its options open this offseason. Earlier in the year, they swapped picks with the Broncos to acquire Case Keenum at a low-cost. Now, they have a buffer at the quarterback position, if Plan A becomes Plan B, and Plan B becomes Plan C, and so forth.

But it appears as if the Redskins have lots of plans to scrap before eventually reaching Case Keenum as their starter. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Jay Gruden, at the annual league meetings in Arizona, shared with the media that he and the Redskins staff would take in-depth looks at the top quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft. He mentioned visits, and said that while the Redskins could trade up, they could also stay put at No. 15 and draft the “right one”.

This quote from Gruden is a two-sided proposition. On one hand, the prospect of trading up for a quarterback is one that should sting the Redskins after 2012. The Redskins fate could be different in 2019, however; the roster, while still far from contention, is a bit stronger than it was back then, and the top quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft are intriguing. But their fate could also be the same, if they’re brought into an unfavorable situation too early. And as of now, the Redskins roster is unfavorable.

Trading up comes with risks, but so too does staying put at No. 15, if quarterback is truly the team’s priority. The value of quarterbacks is naturally inflated in the NFL Draft, so teams will trade up for players they want, and although there are less quarterback-needy teams than usual this year, there’s still enough to run the well dry before the Redskins have a chance to get their guy.

Consequently, Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins are almost guaranteed to go in the top ten, as the two quarterbacks most often viewed as No. 1 and No. 2. Drew Lock could fall to No. 15, in theory, but he has enough natural talent to be picked earlier as well. Daniel Jones is the most likely to fall, and also the least valuable pick at No. 15. By picking Jones, the Redskins would sacrifice talent elsewhere, to fill a need with a player who’ll never be as good as they need him to be.

The endless quarterback conundrum carries into 2019 for the Redskins, and they seem to have more questions than answers at this stage of the game. That’s alright; in fact, it’s preferred. They can’t box themselves into a course of action. But with every day, the draft grows nearer. And a very pivotal pick approaches the stage.