The Washington Redskins came into the 2018 NFL season with optimism. However, they ended up disappointing, only going 7-9 on the season and finishing third in the NFC East Division. Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill wouldn't change that for the Redskins.
Coming into this offseason, many have connected the team with Tannehill. With Alex Smith out for the near future, they need to find a temproary replacement. However, he is not the best option for them moving forward.
The Redskins had been sitting in first place in the NFC East when Smith broke his right leg. It happened during the third quarter of a home game against the Houston Texans. Smith was hurried to the hospital for emergency surgery on his fibula and tibia.
Smith was then replaced by very subpar players. Colt McCoy injured himself, Mark Sanchez was awful and then they signed Josh Johnson as a last act of desperation. Winning any games with this group of quarterbacks is quite a feat. They couldn't make a playoff run because of their depth was embarrassingly bad.
Smith signed a gigantic four-year, $94 million contract extension with the Redskins this past year. The Chiefs had just traded him away to make space for Patrick Mahomes, who was this past seasons' MVP. Smith will make $42 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons. He's still the team's financial commitment.
Dan Snyder and the Redskins organization need to find a replacement for Smith in the short-term. There are not a lot of options on the free agent market that are cheap. Both Nick Foles and Teddy Bridgewater are going to make starter money, and the Redskins need something that’s cheap and temporary.
They could take a quarterback in the draft, but that’s not a consistent option. The top three expected to go in the first round. Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State, Kyler Murray of Oklahoma, and Daniel Jones of Duke could be decent draft picks. They need to focus on bringing in a veteran to replace him. Bringing in Tannehill seems like it could work.
Tannehill only played 11 games for the Dolphins last season. He threw for only 1,979 with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His completion percentage was an average 64.2 percent, and his quarterback rating was 33.1. Over the past few years, he's never really improved. His skillset has hit a regression. He's not getting any better anytime soon.
The Redskins will have a shade over $17 million in cap room, per Over the Cap. They may have to do some moving but bringing him in shouldn’t be a problem. His contract is large. The Redskins simply do not have the cap room to bring in a quarterback on a long term deal.
Dan Snyder and the rest of the front office need to find a solution to their quarterback dilemma. Bringing in Tannehill would not be the best solution to their lack of depth at the position this upcoming season.
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