Quarterbacks that Washington Football Team can add to replace Dwayne Haskins
Potential trade candidates
The trade market is often tricky to navigate for quarterbacks, but there will be some potential targets out there this year. It’s unclear whether or not any of these players will actually be moved, or if Washington would be interested in trading for another veteran, but again, the keyword here is possible.
Matt Ryan, Falcons. Ryan has been with the Falcons since they made him the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has led them to a Super Bowl, won an MVP, and has generally put up strong offensive numbers.
So, why would Atlanta move on from Ryan? Well, they’re going to have a high draft pick and could consider drafting a successor to the 35-year-old Ryan, depending on who is hired as the team’s new coach. That doesn’t mean Ryan will definitely be on the trade block, but he could be.
Washington Commanders
Ryan’s trade value is difficult to figure out. He’s in the twilight of his career, but he has posted 10 seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards and his accuracy is strong. Washington should at least consider calling the Falcons and figuring out what the price for Ryan might be, as he would be a good 2-3 year bridge option for this team.
Matthew Stafford, Lions. Stafford is in a similar boat to Ryan. He’s aging, the Lions are bad, and a new front office/coaching staff could consider trading him and drafting a successor. Stafford is turning 33 this offseason, so he still has some good years left in the tank, but he has been plagued by injuries over the years far more so than Ryan. So, from that standpoint, he would be a risk.
That said, Stafford has played well despite being surrounded by decent-at-best supporting casts over the years. He would be a nice fit in Washington to start and upgrade the position, but again, the question would be, how much does he cost? Because of his injury history, it’s hard to justify spending a ton of draft capital on Stafford, but if the price is right, he could work in Washington.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers. Here’s a less exciting option. The 49ers have seen Jimmy Garoppolo start 30 games for them over a three-and-a-half-year span. He has been good at times, but he is prone to untimely mistakes and injuries. Those make it hard to consistently trust him.
Garoppolo is just 29 and has helped a team get to the Super Bowl, so there’s still upside with him. If the 49ers just want to dump him, he could come cheap and Washington could take a chance on him. He’s less of a sure thing than a Stafford or Ryan type, but he would still be an upgrade.
These trades may sound good in theory, but in practice, they’re all relatively unlikely. And if Washington does want to trade for one of these guys, they may have to get into a bidding war with another franchise to get him. That could become a problem.