Last month, former Washington head coach Jay Gruden was on a Washington-area radio show discussing quarterback options for the Commanders in 2022. New Washington quarterback Carson Wentz wasn’t mentioned in Gruden’s conversation with “Grant and Danny” of 106.7 The Fan in Washington.
However, while talking about his former team’s options, Gruden said if Washington found a guy who was an improvement over the current starter, the team should do whatever it takes to acquire that passer.
That’s exactly what head coach Ron Rivera and the Commanders did Wednesday in sending two third-round picks to the Indianapolis Colts for Wentz. There’s also a pick-swap in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
The initial reactions to Washington’s trade weren’t positive. Some ridiculed Washington for trading valuable draft selections for a player Indianapolis would undoubtedly release. But after striking out on Russell Wilson Tuesday, Rivera and the Commanders weren’t going to take any more chances.
No, Wentz is not Wilson. However, Wentz represents a significant upgrade over anything Washington has had under center in the last four seasons. Is he better than Kirk Cousins, who left in 2017? That’s debatable. Arguing about Cousins is a favorite pastime for many Washington fans, even though the current Minnesota Viking has been the franchise’s most productive quarterback in a long time.
Of the draft picks, one can become a second-rounder next year if Wentz plays 70% of the snaps this season. That’s not ideal, but it’s a steal if Wentz resembles the player he was in 2017. Yes, it’s asking a lot for Wentz to resemble the player from 2017.
What if things don’t work out with Wentz? Then it’s a one-year gamble, and the Commanders are back in the hunt again next year when the draft class is expected to be stronger than the current one.
Wentz has three years remaining on his current deal; however, Washington can easily cut Wentz after the 2022 season if things end badly. Wentz will count $28.3 million against Washington’s salary cap in 2022. He has no guaranteed money left in 2023, meaning the Commanders can release him and save over $26 million in cap space.
Washington could still select a quarterback with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Is it likely? I would say no. However, it is an option if the right player falls. Perhaps Washington can move down the board and recoup that third-round pick and select a young quarterback in the process. I would bet against that, though.
Wentz is Washington’s latest attempt at solving the quarterback position. Will it go the way many expect? Or, will Wentz surprise everyone? The pressure is on offensive coordinator Scott Turner to design the offense around Wentz’s strengths.
Washington fans are understandably unhappy. You spend months being told how aggressive the team is in its search for an answer at quarterback, and Washington ultimately trades for Wentz. Washington fans saw the end of Wentz’s time in Philly, and it wasn’t pretty.
Should the Commanders have waited until the Colts cut Wentz? Maybe, but what if Wentz chose to sign with someone else? The Commanders weren’t willing to take that risk, so they traded for Wentz and can now look ahead to free agency and the draft to build a team around him.
This trade is not a long-term commitment. If Wentz plays well, it can be, but Washington has him under contract for three more seasons at a reasonable rate.
As Gruden said, you do whatever it takes to get better at quarterback. In this case, that’s what Washington did instead of waiting any longer. If it doesn’t work, the Commanders can wash their hands of Wentz and look again in 2023.
