Why Washington is closer to being a contender than you think

Some closing thoughts

As is clear, the Washington Football Team is closer than you think. As far as glaring needs go they only have a few spots. And each one is capable of being fixed in one offseason. It may sound like Ron Rivera is trying to butter up the fanbase when he says the roster is in a “good place,” but he is right.

They have a defensive line that is capable of being elite, two very solid corners, a star wide receiver, a strong tight end room, some capable secondary playmakers, and two solid middle-of-the-field defenders in Cole Holcomb and Kam Curl.

A lot of the questions surrounding Washington come down to two things: Quarterback and the development of its younger players. If Washington were to get a capable starting quarterback this offseason and some of its young players like Chase Young take that next step in development, some of the other needs become less glaring.

The combination of a developed Chase Young and Jonathan Allen has the potential to make some holes in the backend, frankly, not matter for the Washington Football Team. Sure Young needs to take that next step and it certainly is no guarantee, but he has the ability to be as good as he wants to be.

Washington is not that far away from mattering in the NFL playoffs. A team that wins seven games against the toughest schedule in football, with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback, is not that far off. The only problem is there are about 14 other teams that are thinking just like Washington. So a strong offseason is still needed.

One last underrated bonus need: A veteran edge rusher to help with the development of Sweat and Young.