Primary Photo Credit – Sports Illustrated
Here is my Breakdown of the pros and cons to keeping Dwayne Haskins as the starter this season along with what I would do if I were in charge.
Sunday’s loss to the Giants was not the ideal first step for Dwayne Haskins and his career development. It seems clear that he wasn’t prepared fully which led to some missed reeds, poor timing, and holding onto the ball a little too long. This is all completely understandable as the game plan was not built with him in mind because the plan going in was not to bench Keenum before the end of the first half. While there were some missed throws that are unacceptable, like the quick out to Vernon Davis in the end zone (a route that Haskins surely throws as part of his warm-ups every single day), we certainly didn’t see enough good or bad to know anything about this young QB.
The big question looming over this team now is how to proceed with Haskins. Should he start the rest of the season or should he go back to the bench and finish his ‘redshirt season’ as originally intended? Here is my Breakdown of the pros and cons to keeping Dwayne Haskins as the starter this season along with what I would do if I were in charge.
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Why Haskins Should Start
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, & Jake Fromm
I very seriously contemplated putting this last, but I would be lying if I didn’t tell you these 2020 draft eligible QBs weren’t the primary reason you need to start Dwayne Haskins. Kevin Sheehan has been banging this drum on his radio show and podcast over and over, and he is not wrong. As much as we need to build for long-term success, we also need to know if we are dealing with a QB that is all potential and no success. I don’t believe he is too fragile to handle scrutiny and we need to know if he will progress while facing adversity or if he will falter. If we were wrong on Haskins, we can’t afford to make a bad decision worse by holding on too long and missing out on one of the guys above.
2. Game Experience
While there is a lot of development that happens during the week in practice, there is no substitute for seeing how a guy performs in pressure situations. Players like Kirk Cousins are practice all-stars but crumble on Sunday when it matters most, while others seem to come alive when under the lights. We need to know if Haskins is a gamer.
Also, development happens more rapidly against live competition and success compounds more quickly. If the Redskins called an offense to build on his strengths, regardless of how simple, you can inspire confidence in Haskins that could speed up his overall development. Believing you can succeed is the first step to growth in the NFL and an increased self-confidence can help him engage more fully with his raw talent.
3. Tryout for Next Regime
Considering that this is very likely Jay Gruden’s final year in Washington (and hopefully Bruce Allen’s as well), the team needs to learn if they can build around Haskins. The Redskins can’t afford to be further limited than they already are in their Coach/GM search by only considering candidates that loved Haskins coming out of Ohio State. Showing development at this level could open the doors to more quality candidates coming forward. Regardless of the organizational issues under Dan Snyder’s ownership, having a good roster base and a QB with real upside will always attract quality leadership.
Why Haskins Should NOT Start
1. He’s Set Up to Fail
While some really believe the local media is out to get the Redskins, the rumors that the coaching staff and front office were divided on Dwayne Haskins was not made up to stir controversy. Do you really want to see a dozen games where Gruden pieces together a game plan that is ill-suited to Haskins strengths?
We’ve seen this song and dance before. While I’m sure we can all agree that RG3’s career was ultimately stifled here because he couldn’t stay healthy, it was also clear that Jay never wanted him as his QB and never put any real effort to building a system around his talent. I don’t want to see that again. Unless Gruden is fired and the interim coach has long-term goals in mind, starting this season is a recipe for disaster for Dwayne Haskins.
Even if we assume that Gruden (or whoever the interim HC is) commits to building a scheme for Haskins, there just isn’t very much talent around him to help. Despite surprising play from Flowers and Penn, the offensive line is not very strong. Haskins won’t have a running game to rely on and he’s going to take a lot of hits in the pocket as he tries to decipher what defenses throw at him. Unless we get miraculous game plans, this will quickly lead to poor habits and predetermined decisions that only backfire and stunt Dwayne’s development.
2. Long Term Decisions Require Patience
There are some things we know. We know that Dwayne Haskins has a big arm, we know that he has an ideal build (6’3” 229 lbs) and functional athleticism, we know that he has the ability to throw from multiple angles, and we know that he is willing to be patient and wait for his opportunity. Once he begins to fully understand the speed and nuance of an NFL offensive scheme, there is no reason to suggest he can’t be a top half of the league starter for the Redskins.
How could we possibly decide to move on from him after 1 year in a system that isn’t designed for him and is run by a coach who won’t be here next season? The short answer is that we can’t. Regardless of the potential talent that might come out in the 2020 draft, we need to make long term decisions as a franchise in order to build a consistent winner. The traits that Haskins has will be enough to attract a new coach and GM but playing him in Jay’s lame-duck season can only hurt those prospects.
Success requires patience.
If I’m in Charge: Do NOT Start Dwayne Haskins
While I believe that Haskins has the resilience to whether a tough season, I don’t see a point in putting him through the media-onslaught. I don’t think Gruden can coach a system that will benefit Haskins, and I don’t think this team needs an off-season shrouded in controversy over whether we should get rid of him. Not to mention the fact that bad habits can form while Haskins tries to do anything he can to win. We need to set him up for success for this organization to be successful and playing him under Gruden is counterproductive to that goal.
While I do believe in all 3 points made for why he should start, I can’t get past the number 1 point for why he shouldn’t. Dwayne Haskins is set up to fail right now with this situation and this head coach.
The Burgundy Breakdown 