This three-team blockbuster trade helps Commanders net Russell Wilson

What’s it gonna be? Will the Washington Commanders draft a quarterback and sign a potential placeholder in free agency?

Will they draft a readymade starter in Kenny Pickett? Or will Ron Rivera and the front office collaborate to strike a blockbuster trade for a superstar that could propel them to contender status in the top-heavy NFC?

Now that we’ve hit the stretch run of February, there’s only a couple few weeks separating the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

For now, all fans and pundits can do is speculate on trades/signees that would make the most sense for Washington. Some rumors of proposed trades have surfaced, but that’s bound to happen with so many want-to-be “insiders” trying to beat everyone else to the punch.

Speaking of speculating, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington put his general manager hat on last week and proposed a three-team blockbuster trade that would see the Commanders net Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.

The kicker? The Texans and Deshaun Watson (!) would also be involved.

This three-team blockbuster trade would see the Commanders net Russell Wilson.

Here’s a breakdown:

Yes, three-first-round picks and Daron Payne is a steep price to pay for a 33-year-old quarterback in Wilson and you could argue whether Washington would be better off acquiring Deshaun Watson in this scenario, but here’s the deal.

Here’s the bottom line.

Three first-rounders and a core player — in this case, Payne, who’s on an expiring contract — is likely to be the baseline in negotiations for one of Wilson, Watson or Aaron Rodgers. That might feel like a lot of assets, but it’s akin to trading Jamin Davis, Dwayne Haskins and Josh Doctson, if you think about it.

At the end of the day, the draft is a crap shoot. Not all first-round picks turn into superstars. We’ve noticed fans complain about having to unload multiple first-rounders for a proven superstar, then turn around and make a fuss about being linked to mid-tier talents like Jimmy Garoppolo and Carson Wentz.

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

The Rams proved by going all-in on for a championship this season that trading Round 1 picks can work. We wouldn’t exactly mirror general manager Les Snead’s strategy of mortgaging his team’s future, but three firsts for a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in Wilson? We’d do that in a second, even at his age.

Another potential rebuttal fans might have is why wouldn’t Washington simply go straight to Seattle or Houston for a trade. Why involve a third party? Well, in any trade for one of Wilson, Rodgers or Watson, there might need to be a middleman to supply picks for proven players.

That isn’t required in this exercise, but the teams and players involved could certainly benefit all parties.