Redskins: Uncertainty surrounding Williams could change QB decision

For most intents and purposes, starting Dwayne Haskins from day one is the right call for the Redskins.

Dwayne Haskins is a pro-ready rookie quarterback with good poise, mental acuity, and building chemistry with his targets. Live-game reps are the best way to develop quarterbacks, especially when they don’t have bad habits to compound under pressure. Haskins projects well as a signal caller who can file in right away with the Washington Redskins, and learn and adapt at a quick pace.

For most intents and purposes.

The recent flareup of the Trent Williams situation complicates things. Williams is holding out of minicamp, and there are rumors, albeit ones that can’t be unequivocally confirmed, that Williams is fed up with the team’s medical staff, and might refuse to play for them in 2019.

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Whatever the case, there’s a chance that the Redskins could be without Trent Williams in 2019. And if that were to be the case, then the argument to start Case Keenum would suddenly have merit.

For all, not most, intents and purposes, Dwayne Haskins is the future of the Washington Redskins at quarterback. The Redskins invested a first-round pick in Haskins, and they’d be irresponsible not to give him every possible chance to generate a return on that investment. They’d be foolish not to see out the majority of his rookie contract with him as the starter, unless his play demands otherwise.

But behind Trent Williams, the Redskins have nobody suitable at tackle. Geron Christian is still very much a question mark. Ereck Flowers is a known quantity (He’s bad). To give you an idea of the Redskins situation at tackle without Williams, they had Tyler Catalina taking snaps there in minicamp. Now, Catalina made the NFL, and he’s stuck around as interior depth, but the thought of him, or anyone besides Williams, taking snaps as Haskins’ blindside protector, isn’t comforting.

On-field development is best for Haskins, but the pressure hike from the loss of Williams could stunt his growth, prevent him from applying acquired knowledge in real time, and generate bad habits stemming from habitual pressure avoidance.

Without Williams’ on-field insurance, Washington’s offensive line takes a massive hit overall, and we’ve seen rookie quarterbacks have their development derailed by bad lines before. If Trent Williams isn’t extended, or if he’s traded, then Washington should consider starting Keenum, and either slowly working Haskins into the mix, or waiting until he won’t be facing backside pressure on every other play.

Next. 3 teams the Redskins could partner with in a Williams trade. dark

If Williams sticks around after all this, then Haskins should start, so that his development can proceed quickly, and so no snaps are wasted. If not, however, then the team should take extreme caution moving forward. Keenum is a solid spot-starter, and he’s good enough to bridge the gap. If that’s what the team needs to do, to preserve Haskins’ development, then it will be worth the wait.

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