Washington Sports Weekly

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(Photo by: Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Grace Campen

As the 2021-2022 NFL draft quickly approaches, Washington has already begun re-signing players and making trades, following last week’s franchise-tag deadline. Since the new league year has officially begun, deals can now be approved for certainty. After signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington signed wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who previously played with the Carolina Panthers. Both of these moves made by Washington reflect the coach’s goal of rebuilding and strengthening the team’s offense. As of now, Washington is keeping an eye on New England’s Wide Receiver N’Keal Harry. However, it is unlikely that New England would settle for anything less than a 4th round draft pick. This means the chances of Washington trading for Harry are slim. The focus as of right now is for Washington to strengthen their offense. If they can pick up a better QB and WR in the draft, Washington has met this goal.

 

(Photo by: John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

This week the Nationals broke their 3-day winning streak with an upset against the Mets. They have since tied the Cardinals, and in addition, they will be taking on the Astros tonight, in hopes of starting off another winning streak. While the MLB is still in spring training, the regular season starts Thursday, April 1st. The spring training is dedicated to seeing how the team plays and is treated as a warm-up to the regular season. Players that do not typically start in the regular season get more chances to start in spring training. Coaches can adjust their lineup based on players’ performances. The latest example of this was when the Nationals had Carter Kieboom start at third base against the Cardinals, where the typical third baseman starter is Starlin Castro. The Nationals have about a week left to decide whether Carter Kieboom will be part of the starting lineup for the Nationals.

 

(Photo by: BoxScoreWarrior/Twitter)

The Wizards have had one of the most up and down seasons this year. They are either on a high-winning streak or a low losing streak. Currently, the Wizards are on a losing streak, after taking losses to the Nets and the Knicks. The Wizards will take on the Knicks for a second time tonight, in hopes of defeating them. In a shortened regular season, what left do the Wizards have to do? Firing head coach Scott Brooks would be a start, but that is not enough. The Wizards need talent across the team and not just specific spots. While Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are good players, the rest of the team is not nearly deep enough. Relying on Westbrook and Beal to carry the team is unreasonable and not going to get them all that far. The Wizards need to pick up players that are good overall and will work well with a team at the level at which they stand. If they can shift more of their attention towards the four main factors that determine the outcome of a game — Shooting, Rebounding, Ball Handling, and Fouling — the way the Wizards play will be greatly changed, for the better.

 

(Photo by: Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The NHL is just under two months away from the start of the playoffs. As the season progresses, it is important to know where the Capitals currently stand. As of now, the Caps are in second place in their division, which means that if the playoffs were to occur as of today they would be in. However, there are still plenty of games to be played and much could change. After suffering a tough defeat against the Rangers, the Capitals are prepared to come back and take on the Devils tomorrow night and Friday. According to current statistics, a win against the Devils should be easy as they are ranked next to last in the Capitals division. The key to taking on a team like the Devils is ensuring that they are confident in their lineup. The Capitals cannot afford to get on a losing streak with being only a month and a half away from the playoff season.