by Zack Jaffe ’24

The Washington Football Team can make several moves to repeat next season as NFC East champions, although this time with a winning record. 

First and most importantly, improve at the quarterback position. Starting with Taylor Henicke, he went shot for shot with Tom Brady, who is considered the greatest of all time, in only his third career start and first playoff game. Although Henicke  played extremely well and had Washington fans feeling as if they’ve found their new franchise QB, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t go for a gunslinger this offseason. Having one good game doesn’t make someone a franchise player. They also should not stick with Alex Smith as he doesn’t produce the numbers of a franchise quarterback and is thirty- six years old. There have been several rumors that Houston Texans’ superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson wants out . A perfect landing spot for him is Washington and here’s why. Many quarterback options work but by far Watson is the best, with his ability to escape the pocket which is a huge plus as the offensive line for Washington is still in need of repair. The defense is already extremely good so Washington needs someone who doesn’t have careless turnovers, Watson in his career has 106 touchdowns to 36 interceptions which isn’t the best but is a step up from the last few years of D.C. quarterbacks. They have a late first round pick that won’t get them the franchise savior that they desire.

Free agency has huge potential for Washington this offseason. They have the 9th highest cap space  in the NFL as there are lots of good options at the wide receiver position. The perfect accompaniment for emerging star Terry McLaurin is Kenny Golladay and/or Corey Davis. Golladay is a star in Detroit, although he dealt with injuries, he has put up back to back 1,000 plus receiving  yards and will continue to dominate the league now with Mclaurin by his side. Corey Davis has looked promising in his four seasons in Tennessee, however he has been outshined by A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry on the punishing Titans offense. The other hole on their team is the middle linebacker position. Jayon Brown of the Tennessee Titans, he was a young player with a lot of talent but unfortunately he dislocated and fractured his elbow, which puts him at a disadvantage as a free agent. If the Football Team were to sign him he could recover and be on a smaller contract. Both Golladay and Davis are must signs to make them a winning team, with Corey Davis being the backup option to Golladay.

I predict that D.C. can go 9-7 or better with these moves. Also maybe choosing a team name might help.