The Washington Football Team is still in rebuild mode. By the looks of things, they may be for a few years still. It would be wise for Washington to start stockpiling draft picks. At this point, the future is uncertain for edge rusher Ryan Kerrigan. He is a valuable veteran that Washington should use in order to get some future draft picks.
Kerrigan is a veteran, but there’s still plenty of quality football left in the tank. Ryan has the ability to play as an edge rusher in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. He is powerful, quick, and very versatile. Teams will see his value and should be calling Washington’s front office and see what it takes to land the valuable veteran.
While most Super Bowl contending teams will not be willing to part ways with any players, draft picks are certainly expendable. If landing Washington’s star veteran gives them a better shot at winning a Super Bowl, most teams will take that chance. There are a couple contenders that come to mind when looking at their team needs.
Super Bowl favorites aren’t the only teams looking to add a star edge rusher. Some playoff hopefuls are in need of a pass rush boost. While Kerrigan may not be able to change a defense by himself, surrounding him on defense with talent could be a nightmare. There are a few teams that come to mind that could use Kerrigan’s talents to help with a playoff push.
With that being said, here are five teams who should pursue a trade for Washington star Ryan Kerrigan at the deadline.
Seattle Seahawks Trade Carlos Hyde And A Fourth For Kerrigan
While they are undefeated, the Seahawks defense has some issues. One of their biggest weaknesses is their pass rush. Veteran Benson Mayowa isn’t the threat off the edge Seattle was hoping he would be. After an injury to Bruce Irvin, LJ Collier was forced to start. The second-year pro still has a long way to go before he is a legitimate pass rush threat.
Adding Ryan Kerrigan will give this defense a major boost. They will be facing some great offenses come playoff time. As incredible as Russell Wilson has been, it will be difficult for him to carry them against the likes of Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and many other great NFC teams. He will need some help from his defense.
Ryan Kerrigan gives a tremendous boost to the defense. The added pass rusher will help the secondary by making QB’s uncomfortable. It also frees up other blitzing players because more focus will be on Kerrigan.
The trade makes sense for both teams. Seattle isn’t giving up too much, if they win the Super Bowl there’s virtually no talent disparity between a late 4th and early 5th round pick. However, Washington would be able to get a very valuable player in Carlos Hyde and a mid-round pick and to help continue rebuilding. Kerrigan may not be in Washington next season anyway. It’s low-risk high reward move for both teams.
Titans Trade A Second-Round Pick For Kerrigan
The Jadeveon Clowney experiment isn’t working out for Tennessee. Clowney has yet to record a sack. He brings very little to this Titans defense. While the Titans have been rolling, come playoff time a pass rush is very important. They have a solid interior pass rusher in Jeffrey Simmons.
Clowney certainly has the potential to be a star pass rusher. However, adding Kerrigan brings another threat off the edge that will make it very difficult for opposing QB’s.
No matter who Tennessee faces in the playoffs, the opposing team will have a quality QB. Apart from Roethlisberger, most QB’s in the AFC title hunt have very good mobility. Adding a pass rusher is very important because it will keep these mobile QB’s in containment and they won’t be able to scramble around and but time for receivers to get open downfield.
The Titans have a very efficient offense, likely the most efficient in the league to this point. If the defense can stop opposing offenses, there’s a good chance Tennessee wins its first Lombardi trophy.
This is a very smart trade for Washington as well. You can draft a potential starter within the first three rounds. Washington will have a lot of draft capital already holding two 3rd round picks. Having five picks in the first three rounds will give Washington a strong young foundation to build off of. Meanwhile Tennessee will probably have one of the last picks in the 2nd round.
Patriots Trade A Third-Round Pick For Ryan Kerrigan
For the first time since Tom Brady went down with a knee injury in 2008 the Patriots are fighting for a playoff spot. The AFC East is looking very competitive with Buffalo and Miami both playing quality football. The Patriots need a boost on defense if they want to make the playoff this season.
New England traded two of their best edge rushers from last season for 4th round picks. Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins were two very valuable veterans who’s absence is being felt right now. Trading a 3rd round pick for a veteran with Pro Bowl value isn’t much of a risk.
New England will make the playoffs if they add Kerrigan. Resign him and the Patriots defense will be back to its full potential in 2021 when players return after opting out this year.
Kerrigan would be a leader and teach young guys like Chase Winovich how to improve their pass rush moves. Meanwhile Washington gets yet another 3rd round pick. They will form a young team capable of taking over the weak NFC East if all those picks reach their maximum potential.
Raiders Trade Marcus Mariota And A Fifth For Ryan Kerrigan
While the rebuild is ongoing for Washington, it may make sense for them to trade for a QB. It’s likely they will not secure a top-three pick. The Giants, Jets, and Jaguars will more than likely pick ahead of them. The Falcon has a strong chance of picking ahead of them.
The way Minnesota has been playing I find it likely they end with a worse record than Washington as well. All these teams could take a QB. Rather than reaching it would be smart for Washington to get a bridge QB for now and build a strong team around their future franchise QB.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas gets a veteran that could make a difference on a defense that’s struggling. There’s no threat to Derek Carr’s job, so Mariota will be riding the bench unless Carr goes down with an injury. If that happens, Mariota probably can’t carry this offense to the playoffs.
However, trading him for a valuable edge rusher could help the defense improve. Kerrigan could also serve as a mentor for Maxx Crosby, who’s playing very well, and Clelin Ferrell who has yet to live up to expectations. It’s a smart move bringing in the veteran.
While he isn’t good enough to carry a team, Mariota has proven he can lead a team to the playoffs. Washington could continue building this defense, give Haskins or whoever they decide to go with time to learn the offense, and surround that future QB with weapons. Washington has all the potential to be an elite defense in a few years. Washington also gets a 5th rounder that could eventually turn into a solid building block for this team.
Dolphins Trade Ryan Fitzpatrick For Ryan Kerrigan
As I said in the previous slide, getting a bridge QB may be a smart decision. While he is older than Mariota, Fitzpatrick is playing quality football this year. However, Miami has decided to bench Fitzpatrick for rookie first-rounder Tua Tagovailoa. Washington may want to call Miami up and get the veteran Quarterback.
While Kerrigan is still a very good player, he is replaceable. The NFC East is wide open, and Washington may want to take a shot at a playoff run. There isn’t much to lose, it’s likely 7-9 wins the division. If they miss the playoffs they still have a decent draft pick. However, a playoff appearance will do a lot for this young team’s momentum.
Letting Haskins sit and learn the offense behind a QB who has as much experience as Fitzpatrick could be exactly what Washington needs to do to get his career on track.
Meanwhile, Miami is very much in the AFC playoff race. The Dolphins could sneak into the wildcard or possibly win the division. Obviously, the offense may look a bit different under Tua. Losing games after Fitzpatrick may hurt his confidence. However, benching him and replacing him with Fitzpatrick later may completely break the young QB’s spirit.
Trade away the temptation and get a valuable edge rusher who can help take this defense up a level. Miami may be more reliant on its defense going forward with the young QB. Ryan Kerrigan gives Miami the true threat off the edge that they’ve been missing through the majority of the season.
