Although Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins turned in a decent performance against the Ravens last week, head coach Ron Rivera elected to bench the 2019 first-rounder in favor of Kyle Allen. Not only that, Haskins is now the No. 3 QB on the team’s depth chart behind Allen and Alex Smith.
As one might expect, the relationship between Haskins and the WFT coaching staff has turned toxic, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. The staff did not have a hand in drafting the Ohio State product, who was selected by the prior Washington regime, and as the QB3, Haskins will not get much practice time and will be a healthy scratch most weeks.
One of La Canfora’s sources, who has talked with numerous WFT staffers, said, “[w]hat they’ll tell you in that building is that [Haskins] is a project who was drafted by the owner and his son. That’s the bottom line there. Allen is their guy. They think he fits their system. They didn’t really want anything to do with Haskins from the beginning.”
Multiple sources within the organization believe that Haskins will be traded before the November 3 deadline, and those close to the second-year pro have told him that a trade would be the best outcome for him. At this point, it’s hard to argue with that, though it’s unclear who might be interested and what the trade compensation might be.
Because it plays in such a weak division, Washington believes it has a real chance to be a playoff contender this year. As such, Rivera would like to hand the reins to Smith sooner rather than later, as La Canfora details in a separate piece. The fact that Smith is on a football field at all is nothing short of a miracle, but the staff believes that with another couple of weeks of practice, the 36-year-old will be ready to start once again.
Smith has not played since November 18, 2018, the day he suffered the brutal leg injury that nearly cost him his life.
Not a Washington fan but all the best to Alex Smith! Would love to see him out there again
I have no clue why he would come back after nearly losing his life
$$$$$$ Gotta finish the contract to collect his remaining guaranteed dollars.
Well, he’s a competitor. I’m sure he doesn’t want that injury to be the last memory of his career. Smith has had some success, he doesn’t want people to remember him as the guy who only ever ended up as being “almost there” in terms of career goals. After having so much of his career dictated to him by outside circumstances, I would wager that he wants control at least over how it ends. I can respect that.
What could they get for him? A jug of Gatorade? A box of COVID masks?
Deal him to Pittsburgh if there’s gonna be a trade. Not saying Haskins is Big Ben at all right now but they have similar builds and similar styles as quarterbacks. Don’t think Mason Rudolph is their answer for the future and they probably won’t draft high enough to get a top tier QB prospect so why not take a flier. Arizona recouped a 2 when they traded Rosen a year later but I think a 3 could get it done if Rivera and crew are motivated to deal him
A Team looking at QB in next years draft.
The Dolphins were fools to give up a second rounder for Rosen. Miami was quarterback needy and thought they were smarter than Arizona on evaluating the future of Rosen – they weren’t. It was a panic move and they paid for it.
When Arizona drafted Kyler Murray the year after Rosen was drafted, Rosen should have been radioactive to the rest of the NFL.
Now, no team will give up a third rounder for Haskins. He’s as radioactive as Rosen should have been. A six or seventh might be the best they can hope for.
Rosen certainly has more upside than Haskins. Having learned four (at least) offensive systems in three years or so is at least an advantage over struggling to learn one at all.
Rosen was not at fault for Arizona’s trade. They fell in love with a college superstar and a shiny college offensive coach. They didn’t just trade Rosen, they turned over the entire organization. Rosen could end up being solid with the right team-I honestly am not sure that the same is true for Haskins after watching him. That last line is just my personal view, of course, but it’s pretty obvious that Haskins got a better chance than Rosen. The types of mistakes Haskins makes are concerning more than the relative lack of production.
I like that idea, good thought
Remember when people said the Giants should’ve taken him over Jones
maybe he’d be better on a better, less dysfunctional team
Agreed, Darkside. This guy never had a chance. I’m not saying he’d turn into an all-pro, mind you. When you’re a bad football team however you’re supposed to play guys like this to see if they can.
In a nutshell this illustrates why this franchise is such a dysfunctional, delusional mess.
Fun! Now imagine if Jones had been drafted by a better, less dysfunctional team.
Yeah Jones has been better than Haskins but it’s not like he’s shown he can be a winning NFL starter either
Haskins would get the job done. Jones is trash. Zero touchdowns in the past four games.
I honestly can’t think of a better spot than Pittsburgh. He can learn from Ben and take over when he leaves.
Other possibilities:
New England if they don’t expect Cam to resign next year
Indianapolis to learn from Rivers
Saints but they would have to cut Winston. Can’t carry 4 QBs
Vikings to possibly replace Cousins in the near future.
Lions to learn behind Stafford
Falcons to learn behind Ryan
The Steelers seem perfect. That match just fits like a glove.
As for the other ones, I think the Patriots would go with Stidham if Cam leaves but if be shocked if they even let Cam leave. The Colts drafted that quarterback from Washington (I can’t remember his name for the life of me right now) to sit behind Rivers even though he was only a fourth rounder, the Saints will probably roll with what the have, the Vikings will probably have Cousins for a little while longer, and I don’t think Matt Ryan is the Falcons’ problem.
Detroit is another decent fit though. I’d add the Bears too.
Trade for what? A wet paper bag. Dude has such little value….maybe a 5th round pick at best
Such a little value? The guy was a first round selection last season and does not even have 16 games under his belt. I am very glad you are not the general manager of my team.
The dude is a future bust, sorry you can’t see that. I’m glad your not the GM of mine so aren’t we both happy.
He is a bust man. Shown little in field.
Send him to New England. It his best chance to have a successful career after this season.
Do not know what is funnier the fact they are going to trade Haskins because they want their starting quarterback to be a 36-year-old whose leg practically exploded for them thinking they are a playoff team. It is situations like this why the head coach should have a say in the roster but not the final say. Of course Bill Belichick is an exception to the rule was every other franchise who has tried to copy that model has failed miserably.
Shame.
I could see Gruden trading a fifth for him. He seems to value projects over draft picks.
It’ll take way more than a 5th rd. pick to get him. Minimum, it’ll be a 3rd. I think it takes a 2nd, though. That’s what it took for Rosen, and ARZ had less leverage.
Washington has more leverage than the Cardinals had? That is laughable. Everyone in the league now knows what happened and NO TEAM will give up a 2 for Haskins. Maybe and it is a huge maybe a 5th. Washington Gabe up all of its leverage by making his 3rd on the list.
Washington hasn’t invested a #1 overall on a young QB yet.
Washington has demoted Haskins, but he’s sitting behind a 36yr old coming off a career threatening injury and a career back-up. Hardly the stuff that holds a guy down.
So you want to explain to me how they have less leverage than an Arizona team that already had Murray in front of Rosen when they traded him?
They didn’t have to trade rosen . They could have let they both compete, instead they got an offer they liked and moved on. This situation is different because Washington doesn’t want this kid and he isn’t very good.
I was really hoping to see a comment from JJ who always has something interesting to say about the “my guy” approach.
You know my philosophy. As always, Dan took an easy way to interviewing 1 candidate for the HC job. And I’m sure Ron said ‘Dwayne isn’t my draft pick…..yada yada yada’ in the interview.
But what I do enjoy is reading new mock drafts w/ all 32 1st rounders labeled ‘can’t miss’!
Dwayne is also why I don’t think highly of Tua. When your offense is stacked with NFL players going up against teams w/o them its should be easy to pad the stats.
If he was never their guy maybe they should’ve drafted a QB.
Seem to be following the Gruden philosophy’ easier to complain at QB’s you inherited; than actually draft one & take responsibility…’
Every offseason Jon wasn’t coaching, he loved every QB. And 3 drafts into being a HC again, has not taken 1!
The Raiders don’t need a QB, though. Carr is plenty good. That’s why they haven’t (and shouldn’t have) taken one. As you said though, it’s easier for some coaches to leave the guy around and just let that stuff bubble. Takes the onus off the fact that some coaches aren’t as good as their perceived to be.
I’m still waiting on Jon to develop 1 QB. I mean we’ve all heard how he’s a QB whisperer/guru. And yet, he’s never develop a rookie to a quality starter. He always relies on old ‘grizzled vets’.
I don’t believe Gruden has the ability to do it, tbh. I believe he knows it, too. As long as he doesn’t prove himself a failure he can keep living on that hype, though.
If I wanted to create an entertaining tv segment with a young QB, Jon would be the first guy I’d call. If I wanted to develop that QB though, hard pass. His irrational affinity for Peterman shows me as much as I need to know there.
But how can you resist taking another first round front seven guy?
The implied shade of “the owner and his son” is a little funny considering Rivera’s offensive coordinator got the job because he’s Rivera’s old offensive coordinator’s son. Duelling nepotism!
“Allen is their guy. They think he fits their system”
Well, according to reports, Allen not playing in the second half was a “Coach’s Decision” despite Alex Smith playing very poorly and not being able to do more than short passes (9/17 for 37 yards).
Washington is a bad team. Alex Smith is not the future. Allen probably isn’t, either. You spent a high pick on Haskins and haven’t given him even a full season’s worth of starts before banishing him completely to the bench.
It makes zero sense. If you’re going to bench Haskins, Allen better be playing. If Allen is not playing, Haskins better be.
I get that the division is technically within reach because the NFC East is terrible, but the only way Alex Smith should be playing is if Haskins and Allen are injured.
Leave it to Washington to hire a coach and staff who hate their very young starting QB.
I respect Ron but I’m very disappointed that he had any part in what was nothing more than a cheap PR stunt by Snyder. As you stated, there was zero sense is subjecting Smith to a 26% sack rate for a measly 37 yds of offense. Absolutely shameful.
Haskins just looks bad in particularly concerning ways. There are a lot of young QBs who we’re not sure on yet because their teams are bad (Darnold, Jones, Mayfield for some), but Haskins seems to be a step behind in some pretty basic areas.
In college he was mostly precise in directing the ball where he wanted it to go, but in the NFL he seems off on a lot of throws. He makes mindboggling decisions with ball security that have no obvious purpose, he stares down receivers, and he just flat out is unaware of pressure and his own receivers. Usually when watching a QB, you can tell what he was trying to do on a bad play-get it to a covered receiver, miss picking up a blitz, underthrow a pass, etc. I really just marvel watching him because his mistakes are just so chaotic that I cannot tell what he was trying to do. Look, I am not saying that he is done nor am I obviously an expert, but watching Haskins is really just crazy to watch.
My understanding is that Haskins is a head case. He has a bloated sense of his skills and importance and is extremely selfish as a player. The Redskins will be lucky to get a 7th rounder for him. Regardless, he will be out of the league with a couple of years.
Haskins is as bad as Russel who was the ultimate bust. Can he play TE?
He’s not nearly as bad as Russell. Full blown nonsense.
According to the Washington media Haskins lacks the work ethic necessary to be an NFL starter at QB and is more interested in his “brand” than in actually playing football.
As for trade value, he has next-to-none given that the above is common knowledge.