Another Wrinkle Has Been Added to the 2023 QB Picture
Josh Frey
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The 2023 offseason could see some of the most QB movement that we’ve ever seen, with free agency headlined by players like Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, and Geno Smith while Aaron Rodgers is once again in trade rumors. Now, just a little over two weeks before the free agency period officially begins, another wrinkle has been added to the 2023 QB picture.
That came in the form of the Washington Commanders announcement that they would be releasing QB Carson Wentz, thus opening up more than $26 million in salary cap space. Not only does this mean Wentz will be available on the open market, but it also officially tosses the Commanders into the ring of contenders for one of these top QBs.
The move means Washington now has over $35 million in salary cap space to work with, making them reasonable landing spots for either Carr or Garoppolo. With a strong defensive group and some talent on the offense, this could be another NFL team thrown into the category of “a QB away” from competing. Adding Eric Bieniemy as the offensive coordinator could make Washington an even more desirable destination for a free agent QB.
However, and perhaps more importantly for Vikings and NFC North purposes, they could be a team in the running to draft a quarterback this spring. Currently, the Commanders hold the 16th overall pick in the draft. They reasonably could trade into the top 10 in order to get one of the top four QBs in this draft.
Firstly, this would make it even tougher for the Vikings to land one of those quarterbacks if that is the direction that they want to take this April. As for how Washington could get this done, there are currently two NFC North teams with top 10 picks. Those teams are the Chicago Bears (No. 1) and Detroit Lions (No. 6 via LAR).
It’s extremely unlikely that the Bears would want to move down in the draft as far as No. 16 considering that essentially guarantees they miss out on both Will Anderson and Jalen Carter. However, perhaps Detroit could be a potential trade partner for Washington to get into the top 10.
The Lions probably won’t be looking at QB this draft, especially with all their needs on the defensive side of the ball. A trade up to No. 6 also allows the Commanders to jump past both the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7) and Carolina Panthers (No. 9), each of whom could be teams looking at QBs.
Detroit can still get a quality defender at No. 16, and considering the Commanders have all their first and second round picks between 2023-25, the Lions could grab some significant compensation in a trade.
As for Wentz himself, this is a very interesting situation. On one hand, he finished third in the MVP voting in 2017, which still isn’t all that long ago. He also had a strong season in 2019 with the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing fifth in Comeback Player of the Year voting.
On the other hand, Wentz has had some major struggles in each of the past three years. These struggles not only stem from poor play (54 TDs, 31 INTs since 2020), but he’s also suffered a number of injuries. He started just seven games in 2022 for the Commanders.
Overall, Wentz’s next contract likely won’t come anywhere near the 4-year/$128 million deal that he signed back in 2019. However, he does create yet another interesting storyline to follow at the quarterback position this offseason. On top of that, keep an eye on the Commanders as another team that could make a move at QB.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.