Redskins big picture Ingredients for Improvement after 0-3 start
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – Give Dwayne Haskins his first start against the Miami Dolphins
Once the offensive staff has been settled, and once Kevin O’Connell has gotten his feet under him as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, it’s time to continue the transition with the game’s most important position. Out with Case Keenum. In with Dwayne Haskins.
It’s at this juncture that we should give Keenum some credit. He’s a player and a man who deserves respect, and at times in the first three games, he’s moved the offense well. But the Bears game provided an adequate depiction of his limitations, and the Redskins should accordingly plan the transition to their rookie signal caller.
O’Connell would enable this move, as Gruden doesn’t seem so keen on making a change. It seems as if Gruden may be clinging to “his guy”, who is Keenum, to either spite the front office, cling to whatever astronomically low chance of winning he has, or both. Gruden has said he wants “continuity” from his quarterback room, but the Redskins are 0-3, Keenum is coming off his worst game yet, and his stats have been inflated by garbage time production. Haskins is running the scout team. Continuity, if anything, has moved them backward.
Haskins needs to be given more credit in this discussion. He was a smart prospect coming out. He showed consistent growth in preseason, and with this receiving core developing quickly, and the line performing better than expected (they don’t play the Bears every week), he’d be comfortable coming in. The common assumption is that “he isn’t ready”, but the more likely scenario is that Gruden doesn’t want to modify his scheme to assist the rookie. Gruden’s decision to stick with Keenum seems to be anything but football related, and when clashing motivations impede the development of a rookie, something has to be done.
With Gruden gone, the Redskins and Kevin O’Connell can turn to Haskins at the right time, and the upcoming Dolphins game provides a suitable debut date. The Dolphins are competing to be the worst team in the NFL this year; it’ll be a low-pressure affair for Haskins, where he can finally experience the pace of the NFL first-hand, and start to develop with on-field reps.
The Redskins used a first-round pick on Haskins. And from that moment Haskins was drafted, he became the future, for better or worse. You don’t withhold reps from Haskins for simple continuity. Keenum is a bridge, and sooner or later, we should reach the other side. Under the new coaching staff, Haskins’ development won’t be neglected any further.