Someone had to win the NFC East this year. It was 7-9 Washington, in Ron Rivera’s first season as head coach and with Alex Smith going 5-1 as the starter. A change in culture and expectations was natural with Rivera’s hiring, and a pursuit of Amari Cooper in free agency last offseason unveiled a win-now effort.
Washington is headed for a reset at the quarterback position, with Smith hardly certain to continue playing and Dwayne Haskins cut less than two years in. Their first-round pick won’t put them in clear position to get a top quarterback prospect in April, but they’ll have the cap space to make a move for a veteran if they see fit.
In parallel with quarterback, wide receiver is a need for Washington. Terry McLaurin is a keeper, but after him here are question marks on the outside. Tight end Logan Thomas emerged nicely this year, and running back J.D. McKissic was second on the team in catches during the regular season (80). After McLaurin (87 catches for 1,118 yards), the next-most productive wide receiver on the team was Cam Sims (32 catches for 477 yards).
Washington has the start of a nice wide receiver duo in McLaurin. Signing Godwin might not be a splashy move, akin to if they’d gotten Cooper last offseason, but there’s a case that he’d be a better fit.