'Bold' Washington To Sign QB Fitzpatrick Due to 'No-Man's Land'?

ESPN is gaining a great deal of traction with a bit it calls "Bold Predictions,'' which features NFL beat writers being asked (forced?) to issue slightly-plausible but highly-click-worthy forecasts for the 32 teams.

In Carolina, for instance, the beat writer suggested the Panthers would trade Christian McCaffrey and three first-round picks to Houston for Deshaun Watson, and the reaction - reaction that assumed this was newsworthy - was so strong that ESPN was forced to crawfish its way in reverse, laboring to make it clear that this was meant not to be "news,'' but rather ...

A "Bold Opinion.''

The Washington Football Team is subjected to the same treatment, of course. ... is newsworthy ... and is QB-hungry.

Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick and "No-Man's Land.''

Since entering the NFL in 2005, Fitzpatrick has played for eight different franchises, he and his gigantic beard working together to create a reputation for him as someone who creates "magic'' upon his arrival.

The magic often fades. But at 38, Fitzpatrick's reputation remains.

What does this have to do with Washington?

ESPN "insider'' Field Yates appeared on TV to make "predictions'' (bold or otherwise) about the NFL QB Carousel. Yates connected Fitzpatrick to WFT in a way that comes with a sort of "plausible deniability.''

Said Yates: "How about Ryan Fitzpatrick, who I think has earned the chance to be a starting quarterback again this year after the way he played last year."

Fitzpatrick played in nine Miami games last year, with a 13/8 TD/interception ratio. There is nothing especially wrong with the idea, if we're just throwing out random ideas.

But is that what we're doing? Or are we "reporting as an ESPN insider''?

The audience needs to know the difference, and is probably also wondering what Yates means when he says, "The Washington Football Team is kind of ... in that 'no-man's land.'

He seems to mean that with the 19th overall pick, they aren't going to end this NFL Draft with Trevor Lawrence. But 30 other teams are in that same situation.

Washington won the NFC East. Teams don't get to own the first-overall pick in a draft after they've won divisions. That's not "no-man's land''; that's the rule.

WFT has many, many options here; it's just a matter of whether it wishes to utilize them. If they don't want to bid on Deshaun Watson, that's their choice. If, a few tiers down, they don't want to trade for Sam Darnold, that's their choice. If they flat don't like Cam Newton, that's their choice.

If they don't want to trade up for a QB in the draft? Yup. That's their choice.

But they are not hamstrung in a way that "forces'' them to sign 38-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick. They will do so if coach Ron Rivera and company view that as a winning option.

And, sorry, there is nothing "bold'' about us making that "prediction.''

CONTINUE READING: Can Washington Football Team Win Big With Cam Newton At QB?

Add us as a preferred source on Google