Washington head coach Ron Rivera told anyone who would listen the Commanders would swing big on a quarterback this offseason. This offseason, the obvious top targets for Washington and other quarterback-needy teams were Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
Rodgers wasn’t interested in Washington, and it’s not known if the Commanders even made an offer for the two-time defending MVP. Earlier this week, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wilson wasn’t going anywhere. Legal issues complicate Watson’s situation.
On Friday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Washington did indeed make an offer to Seattle. And according to Rapoport, it was a “strong” offer that included multiple first-round picks, but trade talks “didn’t go anywhere.”
From our NFL Combine coverage: The #Commanders made a strong offer for Russell Wilson. A look at what it means… pic.twitter.com/e7qabCQosA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2022
Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post earlier reported the Commanders made a “competitive” offer for Wilson.
Reported yesterday Washington had made a competitive offer for a veteran QB. Source confirms it was for Russell Wilson.
Ron Rivera has said multiple times that they plan to be aggressive and that he prefers a veteran.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 4, 2022
Here’s my question: What was the offer? Was it two first-round picks and perhaps a player, or three first-round picks? There’s no way Seattle was accepting only two first-round picks for Wilson.
Another question: Who leaked this offer? It really wouldn’t make sense for the Seahawks to leak the news. However, for Washington, it makes perfect sense. Rivera has been outspoken about acquiring a veteran quarterback. He has some fans excited, while others were more realistic.
Washington may have leaked the offer to appease fans, conditioning them for disappointment. Maybe it was all a part of the grand offseason plan. Attempt to trade for an elite quarterback, knowing the outcome, while planning on signing a veteran like Mitchell Trubisky and/or drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
It’s not a bad strategy, exhausting all options while being somewhat transparent with fans knowing you’d likely have to settle for Plan B or Plan C at quarterback.
Hey, at least you tried.
