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Why the Washington Football Team shouldn’t go all in on the Taylor Heinicke hype

By Jonathan Eig

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – JANUARY 09: Quarterback Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of the NFC Wild Card playoff game at FedExField on January 09, 2021 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – JANUARY 09: Quarterback Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of the NFC Wild Card playoff game at FedExField on January 09, 2021 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

A reality check on Taylor Heinicke

The fact is, NFL history is littered with the remains of QBs who produced at a very high level for a very short time, and left a lot of disappointment in their wake.

As teams study more film on Heinicke, they will learn his tendencies. They will take away what he likes to do. They will blitz and contain. They will take advantage of the fact that he cannot reliably throw a deep out or fit a ball into tight zones in the middle of the field. The same things that happened to Derek Anderson, and Matt Flynn and Rick Mirer. And so many others.

When I put on my rosiest colored glasses and take a big gulp of belief juice, I can see a bit of Jeff Garcia in Heinicke. If you want to drink the Kool-Aid, that’s the undersized, unheralded, undrafted guy that Heinicke could maybe turn into. And that would amazing, because Garcia, against all odds, had a very productive NFL career.

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But I feel it necessary to point out that Garcia, like Warren Moon, was a big-time star in the CFL right out of college.

Look, maybe I’m wrong, and as a fan of the Washington Football Team, I hope that I am. As one of my favorite songwriters Steve Earle now says, I am not nearly as addicted to being right as I was when I was younger.

But there’s a little reality check in which fans of the Washington Football Team need to engage regarding the quarterback situation.

How many of the NFL’s 32 franchises do not have at least one QB who was a first-round draft pick on their current roster? The answer is four. Dallas, Minnesota, Seattle, and the Washington Football Team. (If you were thinking about Tampa, former first-rounder Blaine Gabbert is Tom Brady’s backup.)

Seattle has both a second and third-rounder. Minnesota has both a third and fourth-rounder. And Dallas has a fourth-rounder. Four teams have two QBs who were selected in the first two rounds.

Then there’s Washington. One seventh-round pick and three undrafted free agents. Taylor Heinicke – one of those UDFAs – might get a shot in 2021. And if he does, he may have some nice moments.

Next. Three WFT players with the most to prove in 2021. dark

But to expect him to play like he did in that one magical game against Tampa Bay is a pipe dream, built on wishful thinking and small samples.

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