Washington Football Team: Don’t count out Kyle Allen for 2021
One of the biggest storylines for the Washington Football Team in 2020 has been the benching of Dwayne Haskins Jr. for Kyle Allen. Here is why you should not count Kyle Allen out as an option for the 2021 season.
With the benching of former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, many have turned to the draft and 2021 free agency for the potential “franchise quarterback” for the Washington Football Team. There is the Ron Rivera-Cam Newton connection. Maybe Dak Prescott will come to Washington to get back at Jerry Jones. Or maybe they will give Jameis Winston one last chance.
As far as the draft goes, you have probably the best quarterback prospect ever in Trevor Lawrence. Justin Fields is great in his own right, looking poised to buck the Ohio State quarterback trend in the NFL.
Many are high on the upside of dual-threat quarterback Trey Lance of North Dakota State. Then you have first-year starter at Alabama, Mac Jones, and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask that show upside. Or even better — you have my favorite past the top three, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, who has lit college football on fire.
The options in the 2021 offseason are plentiful for the Washington Football Team. However, there is a chance the current starting quarterback may still be the starter come 2021. Kyle Allen isn’t the flashy option and many believe his potential is capped. He is what he is: A high-level backup capable of providing spot starts until the defense figures him out. That is fair.
However, here is the scenario in which Kyle Allen will still be the starting quarterback in 2021. With a competent offense and an improving defense the Washington Football Team could finish with a 6-10 or 7-9 record and either play themselves out of a top ten pick or win the NFC East altogether.
In this scenario, the Washington Football Team will have put themselves in an interesting position. The top-end quarterbacks will most likely be gone. And unless they really like someone past the top three options, they will have to reach for a project again. It could be a Dwayne Haskins situation all over again.
If the team finishes strong, as the scenario has them doing so, then the team could be better suited just re-signing Kyle Allen to a cheap deal. Then use the 2021 free agency, with copious cap room, and the early rounds in the 2021 draft, to build around the quarterback. They could still draft a quarterback in the mid rounds to sit behind Allen and learn the offense, but he most likely wouldn’t be considered the guy either.
Kyle Allen in all likelihood is not the guy. However, with a roster that features multiple holes, especially on offense, Washington cannot just reach for a quarterback just to reach for him. That will put them right back in the same position they are today in a few years. It may be better to stick with a quarterback who knows the system, while continuing to build up the roster and the teams culture.
The next quarterback this team either drafts or signs to be the guy, has to be someone everyone in the building believes in. Everyone must want him to be the guy and there must an effort to build around him. If they find their guy at the spot they are drafting or find an option in free agency they like, then this point is moot. However, due to the state of the current offensive roster, and the chance that the team finishes 2020 well, playing themselves out of the top three quarterbacks in the draft, it is very possible they stick with Kyle Allen for one more year.
dark. Next. Three last-minute trade scenarios for Washington
It is not the option many want to hear. Everyone wants the continuous quarterback cycle to end. However, it is paramount they hit on this next guy. They cannot reach for a quarterback in the draft or sign a veteran just to do it. Kyle Allen may end up being the best option for 2021. Prepare yourselves.