Washington Football Team: Grading the Ryan Fitzpatrick and William Jackson signings
By Ian Cummings
The Washington Football Team hasn’t been particularly active in free agency, but they have made one key move each on offense and defense.
That should change as the days drone on and as the values continue to improve across the board. But for now, the Washington Football Team has been fairly reserved and frugal with its spending, much like last year.
On offense, despite a breadth of talent available at wide receiver, the Washington Football Team has not indulged the inflated receiver market. Even as talents like Kenny Golladay and Curtis Samuel remain on the board, Washington has not flinched. They’ve only made one acquisition on offense, signing veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
On defense, early reports suggested that the Washington Football Team was aiming to re-sign Ronald Darby after his bounce-back 2020 season. But Darby instead took a three-year deal worth around $10 million annually with the Denver Broncos. The deal carried heightened guarantees, which is likely what turned Washington away.
Still, Washington didn’t panic, and a day later, they signed another one of the top cornerbacks on the market in former Bengals standout William Jackson III. On the surface, both of these moves appear to be well-calculated, but how do they specifically fit with the team’s needs? Let’s take a look.