QB Dwayne Haskins Killed After Getting Hit By Car
Dwayne Haskins was tragically killed Saturday morning after being hit by a car in South Florida, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Haskins was set to turn 25 on May 3.
The Steelers quarterback was struck by a dump truck while walking westbound on Highway I-595 and was killed while trying to cross lanes, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (via Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater, on Twitter). Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.
Haskins had a standout sophomore season at Ohio State, setting a number of school records after completing 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards and a whopping 50 touchdowns. That performance earned him a number of accolades, including first team All-Big Ten honors, the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year award, and the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award. Haskins was also named the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game MVP and the 2019 Rose Bowl MVP.
The quarterback naturally rocketed up draft lists, and he was ultimately selected by Washington with the 15th-overall pick in the 2019 draft. Expectations were high for Haskins; he was even granted permission to wear the (unofficially) retired jersey number of legend Joe Theismann. Despite the fanfare, head coach Jay Gruden decided to roll with Case Keenum as his starting quarterback heading into the 2019 campaign. Haskins eventually found his way into the lineup, starting seven of his nine appearances. Washington went 2-5 in his seven starts, with the QB completing 58.6 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns vs. seven interceptions.
Haskins entered the 2020 season as the starter and a team captain, but he was benched prior to Week 5 for poor play. He found himself back in the lineup late in the season, but that wasn’t enough to save his career in Washington. Haskins was cut by the team before the end of the regular season.
Haskins caught on with the Steelers in 2021, and he didn’t get into a game while serving as the third QB. Pittsburgh placed an original-round restricted free agent tender on Haskins this offseason, and the expectation was that he’d get an extended look alongside Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.”
Haskins was in South Florida working out with Steelers quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, per Schefter (on Twitter). That group included Trubisky and running back Najee Harris, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (on Twitter).
We at PFR offer our thoughts and condolences to Haskins’ family and friends.
Commanders Cut CB D.J. Hayden
Former first-round pick D.J. Hayden played in one game with Washington last season and stayed on via a reserve/futures contract in January, but the Commanders are cutting ties with the veteran cornerback.
Washington released Hayden on Friday. While Hayden has bounced around during his nine-year career, he carved out steady roles for his original team (the Raiders) and worked as a Jaguars slot corner for three seasons.
The Jags gave Hayden a three-year, $19MM deal in 2018, signing the former top-15 pick after his year in Detroit. Hayden helped the 2018 Jags stay near the top tier defensively, playing 72% of their defensive snaps alongside Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. That talented Jacksonville group steadily splintered, and Hayden saw a 2020 injury wrap his career with the team. After spending time on the workout circuit, Hayden caught on with Washington in 2021.
The Commanders have used Kendall Fuller both outside and in the slot since reacquiring him in 2020, and the team used a third-round pick on Benjamin St-Juste last year.
Commanders Meeting With RBs
- The Commanders are also taking a look at a top back, being set to meet with Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker on Friday, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Scouts Inc. grades Walker just ahead of Hall as this class’ top back, but views him as a second-round talent. The Wake Forest transfer blew up for 1,636 rushing yards in his only Michigan State slate. Washington also met with Hall this week, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
Commanders Hosting Olave, Metchie
One of two Ohio State wide receivers expected to become first-round picks later this month, Chris Olave will tour two NFC East teams’ facilities this week. The Cowboys are hosting Olave on a visit Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud pass catcher will also meet with the Commanders on Thursday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Olave and Terry McLaurin were teammates in 2018, Olave’s freshman year, and Breer adds the wideouts are close. Having traded for Carson Wentz, the Commanders (pick No. 11) are in need of a complementary pass catcher alongside McLaurin. They have not chosen a first-round wideout since Josh Doctson in 2016. The Cowboys (No. 24) have pulled the trigger on a first-round wideout recently — CeeDee Lamb in 2020 — but Jerry Jones based the Amari Cooper trade on resource allocation, and Dallas adding a low-cost wideout alongside Lamb and the rehabbing Michael Gallup would make sense. Though, the Cowboys are interested in offensive linemen as well.
- John Metchie checks in as a second-round prospect, but teams are still doing work on the Alabama contributor. The Commanders are using a “30” visit on Metchie on Friday, Breer adds. The former DeVonta Smith/Jaylen Waddle sidekick joins Crimson Tide first-round prospect Jameson Williams in coming off a major injury. A December ACL tear damaged Metchie’s draft stock.
Commanders, Saints Had Large Presence At Sam Howell’s Pro Day
While Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett have garnered most of the attention in terms of top quarterback prospects, North Carolina’s Sam Howell remains a highly-touted option as well. Two of the teams who sent large delegations to see him at his recent pro day were the Commanders and Saints, per Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Steelers Heavily Scouting QB Prospects]
Pauline notes that the “big turnout” from Washington included executive VP Marty Hurney and several other staffers. The Commanders already have their starting signal-caller in Carson Wentz, whom they traded for days before the start of free agency. The price they paid – both in terms of the draft capital sent to Indianapolis and the fact that they picked up his full salary – signalled a strong commitment to the former No. 2 pick, who is under contract for three more years.
The Saints, meanwhile, had college scouting director Jeff Ireland on hand to see the former Tar Heel in person. After being in the competition for Deshaun Watson, New Orleans re-signed Jameis Winston on a two-year deal. Not long after, they also added a veteran backup in Andy Dalton.
Howell, a true junior, burst onto the scene with 38 touchdown passes in his freshman year. He improved in terms of completion percentage (68.1%) and yards per attempt (11.1) in the following campaign, but took a step back in production in 2021. Following the departure of receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, along with the team’s dynamic RB duo of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, Howell had a down year statistically.
As a result, many have dropped the six-foot-one, 220-pounder down a tier or so in this year’s QB rankings. Howell is generally rated closer to the likes of Matt Corral and Desmond Ridder than the aforementioned Willis and Pickett. Still, it wouldn’t come as a surprise for him to be selected at some point in the first round. That could leave the Commanders and Saints (who hold the 11th and 18th picks, respectively) in play for Howell, depending on what they saw of him last week.
Vikings To Re-Sign Patrick Peterson
Although the Vikings have changed GMs and coaching staffs, Patrick Peterson will return for a second season in Minnesota.
The All-Decade cornerback said during an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) he is re-signing with the Vikings on a one-year deal. The deal is worth $4MM, including $3.5MM in guaranteed money, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter). This will be Peterson’s 12th NFL season.
Minnesota gave the former Arizona star corner a one-year, $8MM deal in 2021. New GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah praised the Mike Zimmer-era signing recently, and the eight-time Pro Bowler will aim to make an impact in new DC Ed Donatell‘s system. Peterson, who will turn 32 this summer, played 13 games with the Vikings last season. A few other teams — the Bills, Bears, Colts and Commanders — also expressed interest, Peterson said (via the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson; Twitter links).
After regressing toward the end of his Cardinals tenure, which featured a 2019 PED suspension, the former top-five pick performed better in his first Vikes campaign. Peterson allowed a 67% completion rate as the nearest defender in coverage in 2020; he dropped that number to 56% last season. Peterson’s passer rating-against figure also dropped considerably (98.2 to 78.7) in that span. While the 6-foot-1 cover man is not the player he was at his peak, he remains a capable starter.
The Vikings waived Bashaud Breeland late last season; he ended the season with the Cards. Former Minnesota first-round corner Jeff Gladney is also with Arizona, having signed with the NFC West squad this offseason. Minnesota returns Cameron Dantzler, who started seven games last year, and signed slot defender Chandon Sullivan from Green Bay. The Vikings also added potential depth pieces in Nate Hairston and Tye Smith this week. Even with Peterson’s return, the Vikings still have a need at the position. Peterson expects the team to further address cornerback in the draft (Twitter link via Tomasson).
Commanders Re-Sign Cornelius Lucas
The Commanders are retaining some experienced depth along the offensive line. The team announced they have re-signed swing tackle Cornelius Lucas to a two-year, $8.2MM deal.
Lucas, 30, came to Washington in 2020. This new pact is the same length as the previous one, but it’s valued at just under $3MM more in terms of financial compensation. In his two years in the nation’s capital, Lucas has appeared in 29 contests, including 15 starts.
The six-foot-eight, 327-pound blocker started his career in Detroit as a UDFA. That was followed by one-year stints with the Rams, Saints and Bears. In Chicago, he started in eight games, which earned him the initial contract with Washington. Now, it appears that will become the home of his longest stay in any one NFL city.
In 587 snaps in 2021, Lucas committed one penalty and was credited with three sacks allowed. That led to a PFF grade of 75.2, which was actually slightly lower than his mark the previous year. Having established himself as a consistent presence capable of playing either tackle spot, Lucas had interest from other teams but will remain in Washington in his present role.
With Lucas back in the fold, the Commanders’ depth chart at the tackle spot remains intact from last season. Headed by Charles Leno, Saahdiq Charles and Sam Cosmi, Lucas is set to continue as a spot-starter when needed.
ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/23/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Rams: QB John Wolford
Signed:
- Commanders: DE Bunmi Rotimi
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/22
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Released from NFI list: TE Jordan Thomas
Houston Texans
- Waived: LB Josh Watson
New York Jets
- Re-Signed: FB Nick Bawden
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, LB Dylan Cole
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: CB Danny Johnson
Commanders Sign DE Efe Obada
Efe Obada has found his latest home in the NFL. The Commanders announced on Wednesday that they are signing the veteran defensive end. 
Obada, who will be 30 by the start of the 2022 season, has played four seasons in the league. The first three of those came with the Panthers, where he suited up for 42 games. The 2019 season saw him make a career-high 24 tackles, but it’s the only year in which he didn’t register a sack.
Obada’s ability to get to the quarterback was on display the following season, as he posted 5.5 sacks, to go along with a pair of forced fumbles. After signing back-to-back one-year deals to stay in Carolina, the former UDFA joined the Bills last offseason. He started one of ten games in Buffalo, registering 3.5 sacks.
Obada – who was born in Nigeria and raised in London – is best known for a unique distinction he holds. After starting his football career with the London Warriors of the British American Football Association, he entered the NFL via the International Player Pathway Program. When he successfully made the Panthers’ 53-man roster in 2018, he became the first player to do so who took that route.
Now, Obada will join a Commanders’ defensive front headed by edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Given his success as a rotational option, he should play a role in helping the unit improve on its disappointing performance in 2021.