ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have let teams, and the world, know what they want most this offseason: A quarterback. There is no secret, not when coach Ron Rivera has hammered this quest home since the season ended.
Washington’s search to find a long-term solution has been decades in the making. The franchise has started 32 quarterbacks since it won the Super Bowl after the 1991 season and eight over the past three years. Rivera, entering the third year of his tenure, sees this as a time to be aggressive.
“They have a really good foundation,” said ESPN analyst and former general manager Mike Tannenbaum. “This is the time and the window to be slightly aggressive.”
Over the past four seasons Washington ranks last in total QBR. Not coincidentally, during that time Washington is 24-41 (26th in the NFL). Last season, with Taylor Heinicke starting, Washington (7-10) ranked 23rd in total QBR. Washington considers him a high-end backup or low-end starter.
All of this is why, according to a source, Washington has reached out to every team to inquire about a quarterback’s availability and the cost. The team started its search with a list of 42 quarterbacks. Here are some of the options:
Swing big
If the Commanders can get Russell Wilson they would be “in that conversation for best team in the conference,” according to ESPN analyst and former GM Mike Tannenbaum. Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
Rivera has laid out a sales pitch to entice quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and possibly Deshaun Watson, to consider Washington. Watson, who is facing 22 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct, and Wilson have no-trade clauses. The Commanders will definitely pursue Rodgers and Wilson.
Rivera will point to an offensive line that has good depth and should continue to be solid even if right guard Brandon Scherff leaves via free agency. There is also a 1,000-yard running back (Antonio Gibson) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Terry McLaurin), plus…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at www.espn.com – NFC East…