Once again, Washington finds itself in a familiar place, with the quarterback position in flux. After another disappointing loss, fans are wondering why Dwayne Haskins was benched in the first place. The loss to the Rams was the worst offensive performance by Washington’s offense through five games. As the quarterback carousel in Washington continues, fans should be aware the discussion shouldn’t start and end with quarterbacks Kyle Allen and embattled backup Alex Smith.
Since it’s becoming increasingly likely that Haskins will follow in the footsteps of Quinton Dunbar and Trent Williams and be traded, fans are already starting to look at some of the draft eligible quarterbacks for 2021. Washington does have another option that is already on the roster though.
In this installment of The Burgundy and Gold Report’s Hail Rookie, we’ll take a look at Washington’s UDFA rookie quarterback Steven Montez.
Multiple readers have asked us here at The Burgundy and Gold Report to give our analysis on Montez and discuss if he should even be in the discussion for Washington’s quarterback so soon. After reviewing his film, Montez has some attributes that are encouraging.
Some Background on Montez
Montez definitely has the athletic pedigree, with his father being a multisport athlete in HS and going on to play quarterback for the Oakland Raiders in 1996. Like his father, Montez was also a multiple sport athlete while at Del Valle High School in El Paso Texas. Football was always in his blood, but Montez was a impressive HS basketball prospect averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
Per Jordan Reed of The Draft Network
“He has a father that played collegiately and professionally. Montez is often credited with having off the charts leadership skills and is exemplary of what coaches want at the position. Not being voted as a team-captain (2018) was a surprise to many and will be an area that scouts do lots of digging as to why, but he was named as one in 2019. Multiple coaching staffs at Colorado have spoken highly of his character and how he carries out his day-to-day preparation.”
The 6’4″ 235 lbs Colorado signal caller impressed a few scouts and team officials at the 2020 NFL Combine with his 4.68 second forty time and a 33″ vertical leap. Montez redshirted in ’15, but went on to throw for 9,710 passing yards for 63 TD’s with 33 ints, 960 rushing yards for 11 TD’s and added 1 rec for TD between the ’16-’19 seasons.
Montez went undrafted after many projections had him getting selected in the 6th-7th round range and was signed to Washington’s practice squad this offseason. Although accumulating over 10,600 all-purpose yards with 75 total touchdowns in 4 seasons is an impressive feat, scouts were left wanting to see more improvement in his throwing motion and accuracy after the draft evaluation process.
Is Montez a Legit Option
Former Colorado University quarterback, Steven Montez, displayed his ability to make plays on the fly and did some of his best work escaping pressure when plays broke down. Although Montez displayed his ability to scramble, he’s more comparable to Russell Wilson who scrambles to create downfield passing opportunities, rather than accumulate rushing yards. In saying that, Montez isn’t on Russell’s level athletically, but when he’s flushed from the pocket, he utilizes every bit of his 6’4” 235 lb frame to gain the tough YAC. Having Laviska Shenault Jr as his primary receiving weapon at Colorado gave Montez a better understanding of how to best attack defenses and utilize mismatches in coverage.
Although it may look as if Allen and Smith are the only options with the Haskins fiasco in full swing, it seems like no time better than the present to make a switch on the QB depth chart. Turner has been under scrutiny after putting his quarterbacks in less than ideal situations to succeed. Smith should no longer be in the discussion as QB2, let alone a starter who takes snaps under center. Turner understands he needs to make adjustments, but has been unsuccessful thus far. Keeping his signal callers primarily in shotgun would be a start, but it’s only a matter of time before Allen goes down again with one of the league’s worst offensive lines.
It’s unlikely a move at quarterback happens before the bye week, but with Haskins on the outs and the backup quarterback option on the roster being a 36 year old on half a leg who had one of the most cringeworthy performances in recent memory, their hand might be forced to play their unknown commodity.
⭐️Credit photos to Elijah Walter Griffin Sr/Washington Football Team
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