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Washington Redskins: Best QB options with Alex Smith out

By Erik Lambert

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 30: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 30, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 30: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 30, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins are in a difficult position. They’d planned on Alex Smith being their starter at quarterback for the next few years.

Now it appears his career is in jeopardy. Word has already come out that he’s not likely to play in 2019 due to complications with his broken leg that ended his season. Some believe that he may never play football again due to how severe the injury actually was. Hence why the Redskins are dealt such an unfortunate situation. They have nobody of credibility on the roster and they don’t exactly have the draft position to be endured a top prospect either.

This means they may have to get a little creative with their options as to who can be their man under center next season and beyond. Looking over the landscape as things stand, here is a short list of credible names they may have a shot at depending on if things unfold as expected over the coming months.

Free agents:

Teddy Bridgewater – This will be by far the most intriguing option in terms of upside. Bridgewater is finally recovered from his terrible knee injury back in 2016 and it appears he has that same capability to play well if he can get into a system that commits to him. He’s smart, efficient, and knows where to go with the ball. Also, he is still fairly young, meaning a team can build around him.

Tyrod Taylor – He never really had a chance in Cleveland. Taylor has had a career where everybody is trying to replace him. Still, he’s shown he can be an effective starter if given the chance. He’s mobile with an accurate arm and is able to make plays off the cuff. He’ll never win the game by himself but he knows how to engineer an attack built around the run.

Likely cuts:

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Ryan Tannehill – The guy had some nice highs and rough lows in Miami. It seemed like he was starting to turn the corner in 2016 but fell off after tearing his ACL. He hasn’t been quite right since then. It’s possible he could use a change of scenery. He’s not too old and can throw the football well when he has decent protection. Jay Gruden may be able to do something there.

Joe Flacco – It’s hard to know for sure if Flacco has anything left. He hasn’t been the player he was a few years ago. Is he simply declining physically or just lost his edge? The guy won a Super Bowl and still has a live arm. Those are strong cases for a team to think he might have some gas left in the tank. If Washington wants to run the ball, he can execute that kind of offense well.

Draft:

Kyler Murray – Given what Gruden was able to get out of Josh Jones, who hadn’t played a meaningful snap in years, there’s every reason to think he could find out how to utilize Heisman winner Murray in the correct manner. The kid is painfully short for a quarterback but his mobility, accuracy, and playmaking instinct are all elite. He’s the sort who will need 100% commitment.

Daniel Jones – The big quarterback from Duke was trained by the same man who developed the Manning brothers. So he understands the position to an advanced degree. He has a solid enough arm and throws the ball with good accuracy. What he needs to learn is how to throw with timing better. Gruden and that West Coast-style system would be perfect for that.

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