Former Washington head coach Jay Gruden was a guest Friday on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast.
Sheehan asked, “How should Washington approach QB this off season?”
Gruden said they are going to have to pay a hefty price and it will rub some people wrong. But if they are going to improve at that position, then they are going to have to do it. He thought Matthew Stafford illustrated this in how the Rams gave up first-round selections and their starter Jared Goff, obtaining Stafford.
Sheehan asked if Washington had been able to obtain Stafford, how much better would they have been in 2021? Gruden said it is all speculating, but he felt they would have been significantly better. Gruden pointed to Stafford’s arm talent and toughness as his two greatest attributes.
Gruden said Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson have both meant the world to their respective franchises and he does not (at this point) see either of them being traded in this offseason. He feels Rodgers is the most talented in arm talent he has seen in his years coaching.
Regarding Deshaun Watson, Gruden was quick to say he has no idea regarding Watson’s legal status and what lies ahead, but if only evaluating Watson’s football, he would pursue Watson.
He conceded he does not understand what is going on with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. “This is a business, and at the end of the day some quarterbacks make it harder to keep them than others.” He likes his talent and feels the Cardinals will do what they can to keep him.
Jimmy Garoppolo is a guy Gruden thinks “the building will be split on. He can be a good player, but to sell the farm for him is a tough pill to swallow.” Gruden warned that he knows when teams are attempting to trade for a QB, they can get panicked (and give up too much).
As for Mitchell Trubisky, Gruden felt like that would result in a competitive situation between Trubisky and Taylor Heinicke and that Trubisky, if signed, would not be told, he is the starter. Gruden said Heinicke did some decent things for a guy who had not played a whole lot. He said Trubisky in his opportunities has not proven he would be an upgrade over Heinicke.