What Was The Washington Football Team's Worst Offseason Move?

Mistakes are bound to happen each offseason when it comes to free agency. Draft picks are muffled, contracts never meet expectations and players that are declining continue to earn to top dollar.

What was the Washington Football Team's biggest mistake? Compared to other teams, their lone flaw might be nothing more than blemish in a crisp, clear offseason.

Washington elected not to draft a quarterback despite playing four different players under center last season. The biggest move to fix the game's most important position? Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The 38-year-old journeyman signed a one-year deal worth $10 million. Coming off a strong season in Miami, WFT head coach Ron Rivera hopes that this season, the grizzled veteran's influence will be enough to improve the 7-9 finish from 2020.

Of course, Fitzpatrick was the stop-gap option rather than long-term answer. Washington was highly interested in Detroit Lions' starter Matthew Stafford. The two had ties together thanks to the addition of new GM Martin Mayhew, who selected the 32-year-old gunslinger No. 1 overall in 2009.

Instead, it was the Los Angeles Rams who won the Stafford sweepstakes, trading away two first-round picks and Jared Goff to the Motor City franchise.

There's no denying that Fitzpatrick can work in offensive coordinator Scott Turner's offense. Unlike in Miami, the offensive line should be stable. The overall arsenal should be good be better than what he was working with in South Beach.

Last season in Miami, DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant and Preston Williams were the three leading receivers. In D.C., Fitzpatrick will have the luxury of a 1,000-yard weapon in Terry McLaurin, a speedster in Curtis Samuel and a reliable check-down from Tampa Bay in Adam Humphries.

The real problem still lingers, however. The failure to draft a quarterback-of-the-future in April. Washington had two third-round picks, one of which could have been traded to a team looking to move out of top 10 or top 15.

Add in a 2022 second-round pick and perhaps Washington lands Justin Fields from Ohio State, or even settles for Alabama's Mac Jones. In the second-round, WFT could have drafted Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Instead of drafting Sam Comsi, the team likely would have ran it back another year with Morgan Moses at right tackle. If they wanted a tackle, perhaps they replace the selection of North Carolina's Dyami Brown in favor of Northern Iowa's Spencer Brown.

Another scenario? Washington uses its second-round pick on Stanford's Davis Mills or Texas A&M's Kellen Mond. Neither would be ready to start this fall, but they could learn behind Fitzpatrick and get prepped for the future not unlike what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes.

As long as Fitzpatrick proves he can play a 17-game season, Washington is in the running to repeat for the NFC East once again. That could be a challenge, since he's only played a full season three times during his 16-year career.

Not securing a talent of the future isn't a massive setback, but it could delay the team's ceiling. Fitzpatrick is a rental option, and the team still doesn't have a franchise quarterback.

That's a problem for another day.

CONTINUE READING: Washington Football Team: What's The Best Name For The Future?

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