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Jay Gruden: Dwayne Haskins the ‘wild card’ in quarterback battle

By Jacob Camenker

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass down field against the Northwestern Wildcats in the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass down field against the Northwestern Wildcats in the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Redskins have a quarterback battle ahead of the 2019 NFL season. Jay Gruden recently said that first-round pick Dwayne Haskins “deserves a shot” in the competition but called him a “wild card.”

When the Redskins drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, it was clear that they were investing in the quarterback of the future.

However, is he the team’s quarterback of the present? That’s a bit less clear. But at the very least, he will have a chance to earn the starting job.

As ESPN’s John Keim pointed out in a recent piece, Gruden is certainly making Haskins part of the quarterback competition. Here’s what he said when asked if he would consider Haskins for the starting job.

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"“Oh, for sure,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “I’d be silly not to. He’s put enough out there on tape to say he deserves a shot, without a doubt.”“I don’t know quite what he can do in the NFL in this system because it’s new to him, but his ability warrants the fact that, hey, let’s take a peek at this big son of a b—-.”"

Gruden would later go on to call Haskins a “wild card” and stated that Haskins had some work to do before he would ultimately be ready for the NFL (also per Keim).

"When he’s on, there’s nobody you’d rather have than Dwayne. Really. It’s pretty. He stands tall; he has a cannon, and he can quicken up his release. He’s got great touch. Strong, powerful arm; strong, powerful body. But sometimes when he’s off, he’s abnormally off. It’s kind of weird."

Frankly speaking, this sounds about right for Haskins. He has all of the tools needed to be a starting quarterback at the NFL level. But, he is still raw after being a one-year starter in college. And while he can make splash plays, there will also be times that he is off. And that is what may open the door in the team’s quarterback battle.

If Haskins does struggle in camp with his accuracy, Case Keenum and Colt McCoy could have a chance to win the starting job at the beginning of the season. Both veterans have a lot of starting experience in the NFL and could prove to be solid stopgap starters while Haskins continues to develop. Keenum would be favored over McCoy right now given that McCoy is still recovering from a leg injury suffered last year, but the preseason competition between Keenum, McCoy, and Haskins could get interesting.

Next. Breaking down the Redskins defensive line chart. dark

No matter how you look at it, the ‘Skins have a quarterback battle on their hands. It will be interesting to see if they go with a steady veteran or turn to the long-term upside of Haskins to start off the season.

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