Washington Football Team: Is there a point where trading up makes sense?

The Washington Football Team isn’t required to do anything at the quarterback position, now that they have Ryan Fitzpatrick.

As he’s done in so many different spots, Ryan Fitzpatrick should be able to give the Washington Football Team a steady, if unspectacular, hand at quarterback. Washington might not win anything with him, but Fitzpatrick is only meant to be a stopgap, while Washington plans on how they’ll add their next franchise signal caller.

Picking at No. 19 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team isn’t in a very good spot to acquire a rookie passer. They could pick a developmental quarterback in the middle or later rounds, but the success rates for those passers are so low, it’s worth questioning whether it’s even an option at all.

Of course, every prospect has to be viewed on an individual basis. But nevertheless, it seems as though the most likely scenario involves Ryan Fitzpatrick being a mostly unquestioned starter in 2021.

Having said that, a seemingly unrelated recent move in the NFL may have changed things just a bit: The Carolina Panthers’ trade for Sam Darnold.

The trade for Darnold by itself doesn’t take the Panthers out of contention for a quarterback. However, the Panthers’ decision to exercise Darnold’s fifth-year option might.

If the Panthers are no longer in contention for a quarterback, it changes the quarterback conversation a bit. We already know the top three picks are going to be quarterbacks — likely Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and one of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones. But after the top three, things are up in the air.

The Falcons could pick a quarterback, but reports have surfaced suggesting that they’re also viewing a trade back as an option. The Lions could pick a quarterback, but there’s also a chance they roll with Jared Goff in the short-term. The Broncos are another potential QB suitor, but what if they don’t like the options at No. 9 and instead hope for a third-year jump for Drew Lock?

The Panthers’ move for Darnold takes one well-positioned QB competitor off the board. The other well-positioned teams don’t appear one-hundred percent in on quarterbacks, and some of the other teams that might consider such a move — the Patriots, Bears, and Washington Football Team — are farther back. Furthermore, the Bears have called Andy Dalton their starter. And Cam Newton might get a do-over in New England.

A lot of this is based on speculation. But what if windows open in the top ten for Washington to trade up, either for Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones — and receive relatively little resistance? Is there a point where that becomes a favorable option? Is there a certain value that can’t be turned down?

I know there are coveted options at linebacker, wide receiver, and offensive tackle at No. 19 overall. But this draft is fairly deep at all those positions. If Justin Fields or Trey Lance somehow falls to No. 7 or No. 8, there isn’t much stopping me from moving up and grabbing one of them, to open the next four-year contention window for the Washington Football Team. Teams should be aggressive pursuing franchise quarterbacks, and Washington is no exception.

What do you think about all this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!