Category: 2021 Offseason

2021 Offseason dates and deadlines to know for the Washington Football Team

With no Washington games to keep our calendars straight, these are some dates to keep in mind as we enter the offseason.

With football no longer marking our calendars on every Sunday, it’s easy to get lost as a fan of the NFL, with a number of dates over the next several months that have some major ramifications for teams in the offseason. Whether it’s a deadline to place the franchise tag on a player, or the start of free agency, there are always a handful of dates that any fan is going to want to remember.

Last year’s offseason schedule was thrown out the window quickly when it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic was going to wreak havoc on the league and turn our world upside down. We can hope that something unexpected doesn’t happen once again.

The league has only announced its schedule through the 2021 NFL Draft in April. This schedule will be updated as more information is released. 

Report: Washington requests interview with Titans VP Ryan Cowden for GM position

Washington has formally requested an interview with Tennessee Titans VP of Player Personnel to potentially fill their vacant GM spot.

According to a report from NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, the Washington Football Team has formally requested an interview with Ryan Cowden, the Tennessee Titans VP of Player Personnel.

Washington is interviewing Cowden to fill their General Manager role, which has been vacant since Ron Rivera took over as the head coach just over a year ago.

According to Finlay, Cowden has been in Tennessee since 2016, but he has a connection to Rivera after working with the Carolina Panthers in the years prior. With the Panthers, Cowden served as the Assistant Director of College Scouting.

After a season full of a coaching staff change in Washington, the only major hire to be made this offseason is at the GM position, where there are a number of candidates who are thought to be in the running. Among them are current Washington VP of Player Personnel, Kyle Smith, and former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney.

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21 quarterbacks who could realistically start for Washington in 2021

We don’t know who is going to be the starting QB for Washington in 2021, but here is a long list of players that have at least an outside chance of being the guy.

If there’s one thing that the Washington Football Team absolutely needs to address this offseason, it’s finding an answer at the quarterback position. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to find their man for the next decade, but at the very least, Ron Rivera and his staff have to nail down someone with who they feel comfortable for at least the next 3-4 years.

There are several ways that they can do this: via the NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, or a potential trade this offseason. Some routes are riskier than others, and some avenues have more options as well.

As we get set for the 2021 offseason to begin, here is a wide-ranging list of 21 players who have at the very least an outside chance of playing for Washington next season.

Ranking the top needs for Washington to address in 2021 offseason

Washington could potentially build a championship-contending team over the next several months if they address these needs in the offseason.

Now that the 2020 season has officially ended for the Washington Football Team, the offseason can get underway. Every year this is a major time for teams to address their needs and figure out how they can better their roster, and for Washington, this may be one of the most important offseasons they’ve had in years.

The current iteration of the roster is talented, there’s no denying that. The players in Washington know how to win, and they have a desire to be one of the best teams in the NFL. However, this team is about 1-2 pieces short of being a playoff contender, and maybe 3-4 pieces short of being a real Super Bowl threat. The core is there, but a few major holes need to be filled. Here are the top things for Washington to take care of and address over the next several months.

Alex Smith remains uncertain about whether to play or retire in 2021

The season didn’t end how Smith wanted it to, but not even the QB knows if that’s reason enough to lace his cleats up and try it all again next year, or retire instead.

The 2020 season didn’t end the way that Washington quarterback Alex Smith wanted it to, with him standing on the sidelines in street clothes while his team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. But that doesn’t take anything away from the miraculous comeback he made to even get on the field this season.

After overcoming everything that he did in the past two years following a devastating leg injury in 2018, it’s fair to wonder what the end goal for Smith is. He got back on the field this year and played some really good, meaningful football, leading his team to a playoff berth. It could have ended differently, but the question remains: Is there more to accomplish for Smith before he hangs up his cleats and sends his leg brace off to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

That’s a question that Smith doesn’t have the answer to at the moment. Hearing him talk, he clearly sounds like a man who wants to keep playing the game, which comes as no surprise. You have to be driven and a little bit crazy to come back from an injury like his. However, he also seems to know the stress it brings to his family, going out there and putting his health in danger week in and week out. As fans of the team, we all know the anxiety we feel when watching a pocket close around Smith, so imagine how his wife feels watching that with the memory of him going down years ago.

We can debate this all we want, but there are some players in the Washington locker room who feel like they know the answer already.

If we know Alex, then he’s going to give it another shot. However, the wife’s word carries a whole lot of weight, and what she says usually goes. We’ll see how things shake out of the next few weeks, but at the moment, whether or not Smith plays in 2021 is completely up in the air.

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Brandon Scherff’s comments show he has no intentions of leaving Washington in free agency

Brandon Scherff expressed his intense love for Ron Rivera and this Washington team on Sunday, showing little intention of leaving in free agency.

When it comes to the Washington offensive line, 80 percent of the players upfront are signed to contracts that have them in D.C. for the next couple of years, at least, but the biggest piece is still out there with his future uncertain.

We’re talking about RG Brandon Scherff, who was the first Washington player to be named an All-Pro this century, and someone who also was named to the Pro-Bowl for the fourth time in his career, and was given the Ed Block Courage Awards this season. In other words, a pretty important piece of the offense.

With Scherff playing on the franchise tag this past season, there have been questions as to if and when he is going to re-sign with Washington. Coach Ron Rivera has expressed his desire to get Scherff under contract, and in the past, the vet has said that he wants to stick around as well. Still, things can change, so it’s always smart to check-in.

Well, media members checked in with Scherff on Sunday, the morning after Washington’s last game of the 2020 season, and his answer doesn’t seem to have changed. In fact, his desire to stick around in Washington may be stronger than it ever has been.

It’s tough to deal in certainties in this day and age, especially when talking about a multi-million dollar deal that involves an NFL player. With that being said, I feel pretty safe saying that Scherff will sign a long-term deal with Washington this offseason, and hopefully finish his career in D.C. as well. He wants to be here, and the team desperately wants him back. Time to get the deal done.

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