Ron Rivera hasn’t ruled out selecting a quarterback in this year’s draft despite the Washington Football Team having three under contract for the 2021 season. One NFL analyst believes former North Dakota State QB Trey Lance has caught the eye of Washington.
Speaking on "The GM Shuffle" podcast, Mike Lombardi believes Washington “loves” Lance enough to make a big move in the NFL Draft to go get him:
“I think Washington is going to be the next team to unload all their picks to try to get a QB. I think they love Lance. I don’t think, I know Washington loves Lance. So, will they trade up to get Lance? That remains to be seen.”
Most pundits believe the first three picks in this year’s draft will be quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence of Clemson is a virtual lock to go first overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. BYU’s Zach Wilson is expected to be chosen second by the New York Jets. Either Mac Jones or Justin Fields could go third to the San Francisco 49ers, who traded up from 12th.
That leaves all eyes on the Atlanta Falcons, who select fourth overall. However, Atlanta is reportedly open to trading the pick. For teams wanting to nab Jones, Fields or Lance, fourth would be their best chance to move up.
Lombardi believes Washington won’t jump on trading with the Falcons. Instead, WFT will wait for the draft to see how the board plays out, as Rivera previously stated. If Lance slides past No. 4, Lombardi thinks Rivera will jump to go get his quarterback of the future. Waiting allows Washington to subdue the cost for moving up in the draft.
Rivera wants a competition at quarterback, but veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, who signed a one-year $10 million deal, will enter training camp the starter. If they somehow land Lance, Washington would have a win-now option in the cagey veteran Fitzpatrick for 2021 and their future franchise QB in Lance.
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