Yesterday was a crazy day for quarterback news, and that same momentum carried into today. After just one year in Indianapolis, Carson Wentz has been traded to the Washington Commanders. Washington acquired Wentz in exchange for two third round picks. Just one year ago, the Colts traded a first round pick and a third round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Carson Wentz.
How good is Washington now?
Last year the Washington Commanders finished 7-10 in a rather weak NFC East. Their defense received a lot of hype over the off-season. Sadly, an injury to Chase Young caused them to underperform. However, that was just a one year setback. The majority of that defense is coming back. They want to come back and prove how good they really are.
Now their offense gets upgrades from Taylor Heinicke. Wentz was very good for the Colts. He just made some questionable throws that overshadowed him. The Colts were a more run heavy team. Who isn’t when you have Jonathan Taylor on your team. When throwing the ball, Wentz threw 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also threw for 3,563 yards at 62%. Throughout his six year career, Wentz has been a very solid starter. In 2017 he was on pace to win MVP if he didn’t get hurt. Having Wentz under the helm is a great upgrade.
Carson Wentz now has receivers like Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. Those are two options that Wentz can rely on to make plays. I personally think McLaurin is the most underrated receiver in the game. He doesn’t get to show it a lot due to inconsistent quarterback play, but there are games where McLaurin simply takes over. A quarterback like Wentz is going to help him prove how good he is. Plus, the Commanders have Antonio Gibson in the backfield. He was a steal in the 2020 draft. He is constantly involved in the run and pass game. He can always make big plays. A player that is versatile in the backfield is massive for Wentz’s confidence.
More to think about
People don’t realize how awesome of a trade this is for the Commanders. They were linked to Russell Wilson, but they don’t need a star quarterback. This team has an insane defense and great playmakers on the offensive end. They did not need to trade their future and Chase Young to contend. They needed an above average quarterback who doesn’t need to make the big play, but rather win you the game. Wentz is still willing and capable of leading game winning drives. But with how good this defense is, Wentz won’t be needing to dig this team out of deficits with risky throws.
Now consider what they traded for Wentz. Two third round picks for a player of Wentz caliber is a steal. But most importantly, they get to keep their 11th overall pick. That player would make a big impact right away, and there will be many players who can make that impact. That will make the Commanders even better than they are now. They even have a little bit of cap space. They can use that in free agency to get another important starter.
And the icing on the cake, the NFC East sucks. The Cowboys are losing Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott & Ezekiel Elliot were very inconsistent last year. Their defense now has two young playmakers in Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. Parsons is a threat and so is Diggs, but Diggs allowed the most reception yards in the NFL. He needs to get more consistent. The Eagles have three firsts this year, but they’re still developing as a team. Then finally, the Giants are the Giants.
The Conclusion
I can’t make any promises for the Washington Commanders fans. However, the future’s so promising. Carson Wentz has weapons on offense, a defense he can trust, and whatever else they add in the draft & free agency. Ron Rivera is also one of the more successful coaches in the league. They’re not only in a weak NFC East, but a rather weak NFC in general compared to the AFC. This team should make the playoffs and potentially win the NFC East next year.
All stats are from Pro-football-refrence.com Visit our shop!!