LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen, left, and GM Doug Williams before a game between the Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans at FedEX Field on November 18, 2018, in Landover, MD. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Will the Redskins find their franchise quarterback early in the NFL Draft? It sounds like it.
Washington is picking 15th in the NFL Draft and the team continues to tease fans with the notion they’ll draft a quarterback.
With Alex Smith’s playing future in doubt after a severe leg injury last season, what was once the immediate plan under center for the Washington Redskins is not realistic any more. Colt McCoy and Case Keenum are under contract through 2019, so a concrete plan for 2020 and beyond is not in place at all right now.
Redskins senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams has hinted at adding a quarterback via the draft. Some mock drafts have them taking one, like Drew Lock, Daniel Jones or Dwayne Haskins, with the 15th overall pick.
During his pre-draft press conference on Monday, Williams confirmed that taking a quarterback at No. 15 is on the table. He also added that the odds of Washington trading up are “a lot slimmer” than the odds of trading down. So apparently there will be no mortgaging of draft picks to move up and get a quarterback they like on Thursday night. Assuming there is one they really like in the first round.
Draft week is automatically the time to take anything an NFL executive says publicly with a big grain of salt. So Williams could be trying to offer a smoke screen, with even a hint of the direction the No. 15 pick will go. But on the other hand, Washington’s need for a young quarterback is quite real and has to be in play early in the draft.
The Redskins have been linked to Josh Rosen in trade rumors, which seems like a perfect match. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter listed the Giants, Dolphins and Chargers as the front runners to trade for Rosen right now, with no mention of Washington.
After a career year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017, Keenum turned back into a career backup last year with the Denver Broncos. So if someone can be drafted at No. 15 to legitimately compete for the starting job, and perhaps even win it, Washington will have to legitimately lean that way when they go on the clock.