The Washington Football Team made some big acquisitions via free agency in 2021. Washington signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback William Jackson III last March.
Fitzpatrick didn’t make it past the second quarter of Week 1, while Samuel appeared in five games and finished his first season in Washington with six receptions for 27 yards.
Things went a little better for Jackson, but he still missed five games. Jackson struggled the first half of the season before turning things around during Washington’s four-game winning streak.
For Washington to return to the top of the NFC East, it will need to succeed in free agency and the 2022 NFL draft.
The key to Washington’s offseason is who will it land to play quarterback? Can Ron Rivera pull off a miracle and trade for a star, such as Russell Wilson or even Derek Carr? Or, will Washington settle for Jimmy Garoppolo and perhaps draft a passer in one of the first two rounds?
Bleacher Report recently named one free agent to avoid for all 32 NFL teams. Who did Alex Kay select for Washington?
That would be former Cincinnati, Dallas and Chicago quarterback Andy Dalton.
Andy Dalton certainly won’t be worth paying for, especially not after he completed just 63.1 percent of his passes for 1,515 yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions and 18 sacks in eight games.
Dalton, who matched Fitzpatrick’s price tag at $10 million for the 2021 campaign, has zero upside at this point in his career.
The 34-year-old is best left on the free-agent pile, giving Washington the opportunity to see what a lesser-known prospect can do in 2022.
Ouch. Poor Dalton. Dalton has had a successful NFL career, despite some of his physical limitations. He’s never had a big-time arm, but he spent nine seasons as the Bengals’ starting quarterback, earning three Pro Bowl nominations.
The last two years, Dalton has signed a pair of one-year deals, first with the Cowboys and then with the Bears in 2021. He ended up starting in both seasons. He filled in for an injured Dak Prescott in 2020, and in 2021 he began the season as Chicago’s starter before being replaced by rookie Justin Fields.
At this stage of his career, Dalton should be a backup. He’d be one of the best in the NFL and could still make a lot of money over the next several years.
It just shouldn’t be in Washington.
Regardless of whether or not Rivera strikes out on Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Wilson, Carr, Garoppolo, or others, he can’t sign Dalton and expect Washington fans to be happy. And that’s not Dalton’s fault.
At this stage of his career, Dalton isn’t better than Taylor Heinicke or Kyle Allen.