There’s a proof for why Washington agreed Wednesday to ship a few third-round draft picks to Indianapolis for Wentz, who two seasons in the past primarily was run out of Philadelphia in favor of decidedly unproven Jalen Hurts, then final yr took the NFL’s finest working recreation and did not ship the Colts to the playoffs. However bear in mind when listening to these explanations — that he’s an improve over the incumbent Taylor Heinicke, that the capital they gave up doesn’t hinder their potential to proceed to construct the remainder of the roster, blah blah blah — that the Commanders have Wentz as a result of they did not land Wilson, and so they did not land Wilson as a result of they’ve an atmosphere that established stars keep away from like toddlers turning away from cauliflower on a fork. They will’t and gained’t choke it down.
Here’s what Indianapolis Normal Supervisor Chris Ballard, the person who gave up first- and third-round picks for Wentz only a yr in the past, mentioned finally week’s scouting mix following one yr of the Carson Expertise: “As we sit down and work by means of whether or not Carson’s one of the best long-term reply or not … we’re not there but.”
Now they’re there. The outcome: Carson wasn’t the Colts’ finest long-term reply. Now he’s right here.
So welcome to Washington’s hamster wheel. Wentz is simply the newest to leap aboard and begin working to nowhere. Go over your complete century for this franchise. It’s outdated information, nevertheless it’s perpetually a marvel.
Tony Banks results in Mark Brunell, who provides option to Jason Campbell, who’s changed by Donovan McNabb, who’s benched for Rex Grossman, who begets a commerce up within the draft for Robert Griffin III, who will get harm, will get wholesome and finally will get benched for Kirk Cousins, who indicators elsewhere so the staff trades for Alex Smith, who suffers a devastating harm and is changed by Case Keenum, however the staff additionally drafts Dwayne Haskins, who lasts six begins beneath new coach Ron Rivera, who finally ends up signing 38-year-old Fitzpatrick, who lasts roughly 30 seconds earlier than he’s injured and changed by Heinicke, who was an out-of-work math graduate scholar one yr earlier. That’s some mixture of dizzying and defining, and it doesn’t even take care of the John Becks and Garrett Gilberts who crammed in among the cracks in between.
In that means, Wentz will match proper in. In his one season with the Colts — a season during which nobody rushed for extra yards than Indianapolis working again Jonathan Taylor — Wentz averaged 6.9 yards per try, which tied with Heinicke for a decidedly middle-of-the-pack twentieth within the league. He accomplished 62.4 p.c of his passes — higher than simply six common starters within the league, three of whom have been rookies, and inferior to Heinicke’s 65 p.c. The Colts have a roster that is able to win now, and so they determined they would favor to attempt to do it with another person. That’s telling.
So the seek for a steady, franchise-steadying quarterback continues. Typically, there are two methods to land one: be lucky sufficient to have a excessive draft choose in a yr when a type of gamers is popping out of faculty, or create an atmosphere and construct a roster that will be enticing to a longtime quarterback who’s searching for new environment.
On the primary entrance: For the reason that final of its three Tremendous Bowl titles following the 1991 season, Washington has drafted 14 quarterbacks, from Chris Hakel within the fourth spherical in 1992 to Haskins within the first spherical in 2019. They’ve mixed to win one playoff recreation as starters — and that was Cousins for Minnesota, after he moved on from Washington. That’s fairly a run of incompetence — significantly with the following draft simply seven weeks away, and Washington possessing the enticing-but-dangerous mixture of a vacuum at quarterback and the eleventh choose within the first spherical.
On the second entrance: Don’t give me any of this “The Seahawks didn’t wish to commerce Wilson to a different NFC staff” rubbish. What, they have been anxious about dealing with Washington and Wilson within the NFC championship recreation? Please. Wilson had management right here as a result of to ensure that Seattle to chop a deal, he needed to waive his no-trade clause. What’s plausible: He would try this to go to Denver. He wouldn’t try this to come back to Washington. Put one other means: Wilson selected a franchise that’s up on the market reasonably than a franchise owned by Daniel Snyder. Go determine.
Aaron Rodgers returning for what shall be an 18th season in Inexperienced Bay actually had nominal impact on the Commanders’ 2022 scenario, as a result of it simply defies logic that the participant who gained the previous two MVP awards would survey the panorama and say, “I select Ashburn.” Nevertheless it’s nonetheless instructive as a result of the Commanders are such a non-contender in these conditions. Washington performs in an outdated, half-empty stadium for an proprietor who’s loathed by its fan base and who oversaw a tradition that demeaned and harassed girls for years — a shroud that also covers your complete operation. Oh, and so they have one playoff win this century. No surprise quarterbacks aren’t lining as much as play right here.
So Wentz turns into Rivera’s option to kick the can down the street. His arrival gained’t finish the questions on who the long-term quarterback shall be, as a result of Washington can minimize him after the 2022 season and be free and away from any future wage cap implications. Possibly that’s higher than tying your cart to one of many reclamation mission quarterbacks who shall be on the market in free company — Mitch Trubisky or Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota or the like. In fact, these guys wouldn’t have price any draft picks, so …
Wait. Neglect that stuff. It’s minutia.
The draft is seven weeks away. Rivera and his lieutenants might effectively have a quarterback in thoughts at No. 11. Pitt’s Kenny Pickett or Liberty’s Malik Willis — or each — may very well be there. Then Wentz turns into much more of a stopgap, and the longer term belongs to that child.
Don’t even go down the street that has the Commanders each buying and selling for Wentz and taking a quarterback within the first spherical — and having the season go awry anyway. In a worst-case state of affairs, that would result in a change at coach and within the entrance workplace, which might result in a brand new regime having to develop and consider an iffy quarterback, which might simply proceed this bottomless cycle. Ugh.
When this offseason opened, Rivera mentioned, “It’s time I believe that we see this staff begin to take that large step ahead.” He tried to do it by touchdown Wilson, which might have helped. He now will do it by inserting Wentz, which simply begets extra questions. Washington traded for a quarterback Wednesday. However the reply to, “Who will lead this staff behind heart in 2023 and past?” is under no circumstances clearer.
