Redskins: Three ways Jay Gruden can keep his job in 2020
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – Help facilitate quick development of Dwayne Haskins
It didn’t quite make sense for the Redskins to add a rookie quarterback with Jay Gruden’s future up in the air. But in a sense, Dwayne Haskins is what Jay Gruden needed. Dwayne Haskins gives Jay Gruden a lifeline.
With Haskins now in tow, Gruden, as a head coach with an offensive background, is directly tied to the development of Haskins. Of course, other team officials like Doug Williams, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Cavanaugh, and Tim Rattay will be involved in Haskins’ development as well, but Gruden is the hands-on leader of the operation. It’s up to him to ensure that, tangibly, Haskins is on the right track.
If Haskins ends up starting early in the season, and if he flourishes, then the Redskins have an obligation to maintain his developmental path, and proceed forward with minimal structural upheaval around him.
Of course, Gruden’s fate in this scenario is still left up to interpretation. If the Redskins know that Gruden is just good, and not good enough, they could fire him anyway, and proceed forward with Kevin O’Connell, who is somewhat of a name on the rise, and an offensive mind with a more modern philosophy. It all depends on Gruden’s role in Haskins’ development. If he helps facilitate a successful developmental path, then he can’t reasonably be let go.