The Washington Football team can repeat as NFC East champions with a few key free agent pickups, especially one former MVP at quarterback.
Ron Rivera deserves a ton of credit for piloting Washington to a playoff berth this season. That doesn’t change the reality that significant offseason changes are required in the nation’s capital. This team must look much different in 2021 if it wants to return to the postseason.
The team has a clear and obvious need at quarterback that must fill through either free agency or the draft. Alex Smith‘s return to the field makes for a miraculous story, but he still performed like a below-average starter when he was able to stay on the field. Neither Kyle Allen nor Taylor Heinecke deserves to be considered for the starting job. That means Washington will kick the tires on several signal-caller in free agency.
The franchise also needs to add a wide receiver capable of taking pressure off of Terry McLaurin on the outside. Washington could easily dip into free agency to nab one of the biggest stars on the open market to fill that void.
Unfortunately for Washington fans, there are quite a few other holes on the roster to fill this offseason. It’s important to remember Rivera is still presiding over a rebuild. The mild success of the 2020 season shouldn’t alter the franchise’s timeline for contention.
This offseason must help lay the foundation for future success in Washington. These three free agents could help Rivera advance his project.
3. Cam Newton
Cam Newton cannot be signed as some sort of savior for the team’s quarterback issues. He’d be best deployed as a starter who can keep the job warm for a rookie Washington selects in the early rounds of April’s NFL Draft. Remember, Rivera and Newton have a strong bond from their days working together in Carolina. Newton needs to sign with a team that has a coaching staff he trusts intimately if he wants to revive his career. Rivera and Washington would give him a warm landing spot in free agency where he can compete with Taylor Heinicke for the starting job.