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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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 /

The Washington Football Team played a competitive Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Taylor Heinicke as their quarterback. That fact alone should tell you that with merely competent quarterback play, Washington can be a dangerous team as early as 2021. But as history shows over and over again, finding a competent quarterback is no simple matter.

However, there is one out there, and acquiring him would not require mortgaging the future.

If he is healthy and up to speed by opening day, Kyle Allen should be Washington’s starting quarterback. If he is not, it should be Tyrod Taylor.

Why Tyrod Taylor could make sense for the Washington Football Team

Taylor is not a sexy pick. As I was going over all the free agents, trade candidates, and potential draftees who could be on Washington’s radar, his name was overshadowed by at least a dozen others. But the more I thought about the likelihood of acquiring any new QB, and the cost associated with doing so, the more it became apparent that Taylor is the ideal choice.

Among the draft candidates, there is not a QB who Washington will be in position to select at 19 who will be ready to take over in week one of 2021. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson will all be long gone by then. Even if it were possible to move up, Washington would have to give away far too much in the way of draft capital to move up high enough for one of the big three.

It is possible that one of the second-tier prospects – Trey Lance, Kyle Trask, Mac Jones – may fall to them at 19. But even if the team’s brain trust is sold on one of them, none will be ready to start in Week 1.