The Facts: A year ago, the Washington Commanders were in position to trade up for a quarterback on Day 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. Their offer for Matthew Stafford had been declined by the Lions and they'd signed Ryan Fitzpatrick during free agency as a bridge starter. As Justin Fields and Mac Jones fell out of the top 10, Washington deliberated moving up from the No. 19 pick before ultimately deciding to hang onto draft capital and address other needs on its roster. If Ron Rivera's comments Tuesday are any indication, the club is pursuing a new starting QB much more intently this offseason. "This year we are being very proactive, looking, searching," he told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Diehards Line:Rivera continued: "We are trying to truly cover every base. ... Every time you hear something, you're checking into it. And so we've got to do our work. We've got to do our due diligence." With only Taylor Heinicke on the books for 2022, the Commanders find themselves in urgent need of an upgrade at the game's most important position. Their efforts have begun with exploring the trade market, though Rivera said it remains unclear how viable that option is. "That's something we're trying to find out," he said. "This week has been really interesting already." While a few notable QBs have been purported as candidates, including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan, the list of known available signal-callers looks a lot different. It's a group that includes the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and free agents Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota and Mitchell Trubisky, with Carson Wentz possibly joining this group soon. Should a better option materialize via trade, Rivera intimated the Commanders will be aggressive with their offers. ... Stay tuned.