How much should the Washington Football Team give up to trade for a QB?

Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans, and Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Two months ago, I would have thought trading Deshaun Watson unthinkable. Two weeks ago, I would have thought the same about trading Russell Wilson. Now, I think both are at least 50-50. If you’re the Washington Football Team, you move heaven and earth to get either player.

The Rams gave up two firsts, a third, and their starting quarterback to get Matthew Stafford from Detroit last month. That’s basically the same package that the Chicago Bears gave up for Jay Cutler in 2009.

Both Watson and Wilson are worth more than Stafford – and worth way more than Cutler. Washington’s problem in making either deal is that neither Houston nor Seattle has a plan at QB, should they trade away their franchise player. Neither has a young QB-in-waiting and neither has enough draft capital to get a top-tier prospect this season. Both would require a QB in return, or a high draft pick. Washington can offer neither.

So, the Stafford deal, with a quality defensive lineman in place of the quarterback is a starting point. I’d certainly give up two firsts, a third, and someone like Daron Payne or Jonathan Allen to get an elite quarterback. But I don’t think that gets it done. I assume both Houston and Seattle are going to want three first-rounders and I’m not sure I’d go that high.

In a vacuum, I might. But there will be other options, some of which are described above. And even if you decide that three firsts is a fair price to pay, I’m still not sure you can make this deal, since none of those picks is likely to be high enough for Houston or Seattle to get a top-flight QB.

Either trade partner may decide that they would be able to package their new draft assets in order to move up either this year or next, and get their new QB. So it isn’t hopeless. It’s just remote.

Then again, Shane Falco’s chances of leading the Washington Sentinels into the playoffs back in 2000 were pretty remote, too. And we all know how that turned out. Well, at least everybody who watched The Replacements knows.