Redskins negligent in situation of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins

Where it began for the Redskins

So who is to blame for the situation which Dwayne Haskins now finds himself in? The answer is quite open-ended.

Dan Snyder reportedly chose Haskins on his own whim in April, at the behest of Jay Gruden, who reportedly preferred Daniel Jones to run his specific offense. For this reason, Gruden didn’t cater the offense to Haskins’ strengths, and he started the season with Case Keenum, a more traditional west coast passer. Gruden, after all, needed to win now to save his job. By drafting Haskins, Dan Snyder, knowingly or unknowingly, nudged the Redskins out of the win-now arena, and into the long-term development phase. That’s a move Gruden wasn’t willing to make.

Keenum wore out his welcome in the Giants game, and in a knee-jerk move, Gruden sent in Haskins, without the practice reps or the schematic accommodation or the mental support he needed. Haskins predictably suffered from the lack of preparation. A bad showing chipped away at Haskins’ confidence, and the team’s decision to go back to Colt McCoy only compounded the damage.

Going back to Keenum for the Dolphins game, a meaningless game in which Haskins could have gained valuable experience in a low-risk environment, was the deepest nail driven yet.

A rookie’s confidence is a fragile thing that requires regular maintenance and oversight. What do you think happens to Haskins’ confidence when the team that drafted him in Round 1 says he isn’t good enough, time and time again? Not good enough to go 0-5? Not good enough to play against the tanking Dolphins? Not good enough to be the future at quarterback, even when the future comes early?

Watch Haskins’ college tape, and you know it’s not true. In an offense that’s catered to his strengths, and in a structure that centers on development and support, a commodity all other rookie quarterbacks seem to have, Haskins could succeed and progress. The team itself plays an integral part in the individual development of Haskins. And the laissez-faire approach of the current staff is slowly setting up Haskins to fail.

The Redskins keep saying Haskins isn’t ready. But what they don’t seem to understand is this: If they don’t give him the proper accommodations, he will never be.

For the Redskins, and for Dan Snyder, this lack of confluence between the coaching staff and the roster is a negligible assault on the franchise’s construction. When Haskins was drafted in Round 1, he became a very important long-term asset, one that the franchise has not handled with care, to the slightest extent.