The Washington Football Team is coming off of a wild season which included both highs and lows. Alex Smith made his return to the field and went 5-1 as the starter, Chase Young made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and helped the defense become one of the best units in the league, and Washington claimed the NFC East with a 7-9 record. At the same time, former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins was released, the team struggled with injuries and the future at quarterback is still murky. The good news is a big offseason could turn Washington into a legitimate playoff team that can compete in 2021.
The aforementioned quarterback situation is the most important issue Washington is facing. Will Ron Rivera roll with either Kyle Allen or Taylor Heinicke as the starter, or could Washington draft a signal-caller come April? Additionally, Washington would be smart to add another receiver that can serve as a legitimate No. 2 and take some pressure off of Terry McLaurin. Washington could also upgrade on the offensive line, and once again WFT will enter contract negotiations with star offensive guard Brandon Scherff.
As we move through the offseason, this hub will serve as a go-to spot for everything related to Washington. We'll have all the important dates, free agency updates, draft content and the latest rumors and news revolving around what's going on in Washington. Every single piece we publish regarding the Football Team can be found at the bottom of this piece for a chronological timeline of what has occurred thus far.
Key upcoming dates
- March 9: Deadline for clubs to place the franchise or transition tag on players.
- March 15-17: Legal tampering period opens.
- March 17: The 2021 league year and free agency period begin at 4 p.m. EST.
- April 5: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2020 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
- April 19: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
- April 23: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign.
- April 28: Deadline for teams to match restricted free agents offer sheets.
- April 29 - May 1: 2021 NFL Draft.
2021 NFL Draft picks
- First round (No. 19 overall)
- Second round (No. 51 overall)
- Third round (No. 74 overall)
- Third round (No. 83 overall)
- Fourth round (No. 115 overall)
- Fifth round (No. 147 overall)
- Seventh round (No. 209 overall)
- Seventh round (No. 211 overall)
(Compensatory picks will be announced at a later time)
Washington's free agents
OG Brandon Scherff
DE Ryan Kerrigan
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
CB Ronald Darby
K Dustin Hopkins
LB Reuben Foster
OT David Sharpe
OLB Ryan Anderson
LS Nick Sundberg
RB Lamar Miller
OLB Mychal Kendricks
OLB Jared Norris
CB Fabian Moreau
WR Robert Foster (RFA)
QB Kyle Allen (ERFA)
TE Jeremy Sprinkle
CB Danny Johnson (RFA)
WR Cam Sims (ERFA)
Signings from other teams
TBA
Rumors, reports and updates
Why Alex Smith's epic Washington comeback story was always too good to be entirely true, and what comes next
Feb. 24: Some stories are just too good to be true. They sound a little too much like a fairy tale for the meat grinder that is major professional sports. The return of Alex Smith to the Washington Football Team certainly qualifies.
The physical comeback itself, and the heroic measures that Smith took on to overcome life-threatening injuries and infections and all of the surgeries and the incredible odds he shattered will live on forever as one of the more improbable and remarkable redemption stories in modern NFL history. But the idea that it was without tension, or conflict, or struggle, given all that was going on within that long-troubled organization -- the sentiment that this was a collective kumbaya endeavor between player and team -- was always naïve. It belied the economics and interpersonal dynamics and harsh realities of roster regulations, and salary caps and payrolls. The gleam is certainly off that part of the story now following Smith's candid but hardly unexpected remarks to GQ magazine published this week.
Read more from Jason La Canfora's story, here.
Alex Smith's explosive comments toward Washington reportedly fueled by two different slights
Feb. 24: Clearly it has been a tough few years for Smith, but what would cause him to verbally attack his current team? This is something that 106.7 The Fan's Grant Paulsen set out to discover, and in talking to several people in and around the Washington Football Team, he has come up with two primary instances which compounded Smith's frustration.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
Alex Smith says Washington 'didn't want me' after return from injury, hesitated to give him 'fair shake'
Feb. 23: Speaking with GQ's Clay Skipper this week, Smith did not mince words when recounting his road back to the field, indicating that Washington was initially very resistant to the idea of the 36-year-old quarterback actually taking snaps in 2020.
"They never thought I was coming back," Smith said. "When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team's plan. They didn't see it, didn't want me there, didn't want me to be a part of it, didn't want me to be on the team, the roster, didn't want to give me a chance. Mind you, it was a whole new regime; they came in, I'm like the leftovers and I'm hurt and I'm this liability."
Read more from Cody Benjamin's story, here.
Washington Football Team will keep name through 2021, unveil new identity in 2022
Feb. 23: Washington won its first NFC East title in six years while debuting a new nickname in 2020, marking a victorious start to the franchise's run as the Washington Football Team. That run is likely to last just one more season, however, thanks to an announcement from the club's official re-branding website. Built in 2020 after the team retired its former moniker that was a slur used against Indigenous people -- and the franchise nickname since 1933 -- the site revealed this week that the Washington Football Team will keep its name through 2021, then unveil a new identity for the 2022 season.
Read more from Cody Benjamin's story, here.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos could be eyeing ownership of Washington Football Team, per report
Feb. 23: Months after the Washington Football Team's minority stakeholders reportedly began pressuring owner Daniel Snyder to sell the franchise, one man could be angling to take the club off Snyder's hands. According to Front Office Sports' A.J. Perez, billionaire Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is interested in owning an NFL team and may now have Washington circled as part of "his private wish list."
Read more from Cody Benjamin's story, here.
Washington using a second franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff still an option
Feb. 22: Washington is once again hoping to sign Scherff to a long-term deal -- but a second franchise tag is reportedly still on the table.
tyNicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported that Washington has no intention of letting Scherff hit free agency, and that they want to sign him to a long-term deal. Jhabvala reports that people familiar with the situation say Washington could end up using the franchise tag on Scherff a second time if no deal is agreed to, however.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
NFC East 2021 offseason needs
Feb. 17: Patrik Walker gives his top offseason needs for the Washington Football Team. Read his piece, here.
Washington names former Colts general manager Chris Polian as director of pro personnel
Feb. 15: Washington announced that it had hired Chris Polian as its new director of pro personnel. Polian is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, who was a six-time NFL Executive of the Year award winner, and team president as well as general manager of the Indianapolis Colts when they won Super Bowl XLI.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
Washington signs quarterback Taylor Heinicke to two-year deal worth $8.75M
Feb. 10: The Washington Football Team locked up a quarterback who could end up starting some games in 2021. Washington announced it had signed Taylor Heinicke to a two-year extension. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the new deal is worth $8.75 million, and includes incentives for number of games started.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
Chase Young named 2020 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Feb. 6: Chase Young has won the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award after completing arguably the best rookie season in Washington Football Team history. Young is the first Washington player to win the award, and he finished his first season with 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and four passes defensed -- a star on a Washington defensive line that finished sixth in the NFL in sacks (47) and second in yards per game allowed (304.6). Young and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson were the only two rookies to be selected to the Pro Bowl this year.
Read more from Jeff Kerr's story, here.
Washington's Alex Smith named 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Feb. 6: Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has been named the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year for returning to football after he almost lost his right leg along with his life. After being taken down in an awkward fashion on Nov. 18, 2018 during a matchup against the Houston Texans, Smith suffered a compound fracture of his right tibia and a fractured right fibula. Smith underwent 17 surgeries to repair his leg and fought off an infection that nearly caused doctors to amputate the limb.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
Washington executives want to be 'smart and aggressive' in finding a new quarterback
Feb. 3: Both (Martin) Mayhew and (Marty) Hurney were complimentary of Washington quarterback Alex Smith -- especially considering his incredible comeback story. But that doesn't mean that the franchise won't look to upgrade at the position. Mayhew said that Washington will look at the quarterback situation "very thoroughly," according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, while Mayhew said that Washington wants to be "smart and aggressive" in finding a new quarterback.
Read more from Jordan Dajani's story, here.
Matthew Stafford trade: 49ers, Colts, Washington also sought to acquire QB, per reports
Jan. 31: While Stafford will ultimately end up in Los Angeles, several other teams were hoping to acquire his services. The 49ers, Colts, Panthers, the Washington Football Team, and Broncos were also interested in acquiring Stafford and were part of the Rams' competition to land him, per NBC Sports Peter King. In fact, Washington's offer to Detroit was better for the Lions this year than what they ultimately will receive from the Rams, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Ben Standig of The Athletic added that Washington's offer included more immediate help than what the Lions landed.
Read more from Bryan DeArdo's story, here.
Washington Football Team promotes Jennifer King to full-time offensive assistant
Jan. 26: Sarah Thomas made history by becoming the first woman to be named to a Super Bowl officiating crew. Days later, another woman has logged an achievement for the record books, with Washington Football Team's Jennifer King becoming just the third active full-time female coach in the NFL and the first Black woman to secure a full-time role. King, who spent 2020 as an intern under Ron Rivera, has been promoted to a full-time offensive assistant role with the team ahead of the 2021 season, as the team announced she was named assistant running backs coach.
Read more from Cody Benjamin's story, here.
Washington names Martin Mayhew as new general manager, assigns Marty Hurney to executive role
Jan. 22: Days after reportedly finalizing a deal with longtime Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney to run their own front office, Washington Football Team has reversed course a bit and named Martin Mayhew its GM ahead of the 2021 season, the team announced. Hurney will instead reportedly be named Executive Vice President of Football/Player Personnel, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, but it's Mayhew, the former San Francisco 49ers executive and ex-NFL cornerback, who'll now be leading the team alongside coach Ron Rivera.
Read more from Cody Benjamin and Patrik Walker, here.
Washington's Ryan Kerrigan 'definitely wants to be a starter' on new contract
Jan. 12: As he eyes free agency this offseason, the 32-year-old is crystal clear in what he hopes to obtain with a new NFL contract, and it's not being relegated to rotational duty.
"I definitely want to be a starter," Kerrigan said, via The Washington Post. "I mean, I think any player would say that. I don't think anybody just wants to settle for being a role player or a reserve player."
Read more from Patrik Walker's story, here.
Three-step plan to fix Washington in 2021: Solidifying the future at quarterback comes first
Jan. 11: Jordan Dajani created a three-step plan to fix Washington in 2021. Check out his piece, here.
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