Dark horse quarterback who the Washington Football Team should acquire

Los Angeles Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Trade front: Rumors abound, but few cost-effective answers

On the trade front, there are constant rumors, and if we have learned anything from following the rumor mill over the years, it is that most of the presumed candidates will not be moved. That doesn’t stop speculation.

For the record, I would not trade for a quality quarterback past the age of 30. I’m not saying that Matt Ryan or Matthew Stafford wouldn’t be a major upgrade for the Washington Football Team in 2021. But the cost would be very high and those types of players are trending down. You do not want to tie an up & coming team to an aging QB while giving away major assets, to boot.

Scarcely a month ago, it appeared that the Jets would have the No. 1 draft pick and that they would be looking to move on from Sam Darnold. I would have been very interested in acquiring Darnold, who has suffered from a serious dearth of offensive talent and an incompetent coaching situation throughout his short career. I do not believe Darnold will be available now, and if he is, his price tag is probably too high.

More from Commanders Free Agency

There’s always a chance that Jon Gruden could blow up things in Las Vegas, and I am one of the people who actually thinks Derek Carr is a quality quarterback. But I think that is unlikely as well.

There is one, and only one, quarterback whose name is currently wending through the rumor mill that I would move heaven and earth to acquire. That is Deshaun Watson. If he is really able to force a trade out of Houston, then you have to play every card in your deck to get him.

Trouble is, Washington doesn’t have enough cards. Houston would be insane to deal Watson, but if they feel they have no other choice, then they have to get a very good young quarterback in return.

That means trading him to Miami for a package including Tua Tagavailoa. Or perhaps  Denver could sell Houston on Drew Lock and a lot of other assets. Or maybe Houston likes Daniel Jones. The point is, Washington does not have that young quarterback to offer, and so Watson is a pipe dream.

So, with these quarterbacks looking tough to acquire, Taylor could end up being a good free-agent option that won’t cost too much.