The new fall TV lineup has not gotten fully underway, but we will get treated to a nice pilot episode of The Nate Sudfeld Show tonight. Even better, it's the only show across the entire league this evening. This means that every Redskins player looking to put some good work on display for the rest of the league's personnel departments will be doing it live.
On last night's episode of The Audible, I hinted that the opportunity for Sudfeld to impress a team in need of a quarterback could result in a trade. I am NOT here saying that the Redskins have to trade him or cut him. I am also not saying I would take "anything" someone offered to take him off of our hands.
As we all learned over the course of Kirk Cousins' career, drafting and flipping a quarterback (or any player) is not easily accomplished. (I am not advocating for McLovin to cold call teams and make a market. I think the phone will ring, and it will come down to what someone is offering.)
It is also important to remember--as Alex Rowsey pointed out during the conversation--this is the first quarterback that Jay Gruden has really had the chance to bring here (to D.C.) and work closely with out of college. I don't think you can understate that.
Listen, the Minnesota Vikings are going to make a move. No disrespect to Shaun Hill, but you have to believe that the Vikes are looking for a younger player that offers them upside and hope after such a soul-crushing loss. They are not the only team in search of a quarterback, as teams like the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets could also be looking to improve their long-term prospects under center. Other names will be both sexier and more NFL-ready (Colin Kaepernick comes to mind), but the price tag on young players like Sudfeld is far cheaper.
Don't confuse me with someone who is rushing Sudfeld off of our team. I liked him out of Indiana, and he looks very much like a guy who can play in this league. As I always say, good organizations are ALWAYS in the business of developing quarterbacks. For me, the issue boils down to keeping two or three quarterbacks. I believe keeping three quarterbacks is a bit of luxury in the league these days. Perhaps you find a way to afford that kind of luxury given the importance of the position, but the Redskins have playoff contender written all over them. The extra offensive lineman or running back (or Logan Paulsen) could end up being the more pressing offensive need to keep the train on the tracks this season.
First thing's first: I want to see our guy light it up tonight. Everything good is possible when a young quarterback shines brightly. There are few better problems to have than figuring out what to do with a 6'5" signal caller with a very high ceiling. I would suggest that if the Redskins are even remotely considering that Sudfeld is not in the team's immediate plans, they should try and trade him. I don't believe we can sneak him onto the practice squad, so to me it is a matter of either keeping him or trading him--especially if he looks good tonight.
I will be the first person to get excited about a Washington franchise that is optimistic about a young player like Nate Sudfeld. It's all about talent, and we need all the talent we can find. All I'm saying here is that I believe our phone will ring after this game. I have no idea what the offer will be, but if Sudfeld looks solid this evening, it could be an offer worth considering. We can't be too scurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred to make a move--and yes, keeping him on the Final 53 will be a move in our arsenal.