Redskins: Five things to watch at the 2020 NFL Combine
By Ian Cummings
No. 5 – What will Ron Rivera say at the podium?
Ron Rivera is scheduled to speak at the podium on Wednesday at 11:45 AM eastern time. It’ll be the first time that he speaks to a national media audience as the Washington Redskins head coach, and naturally, the event will likely be of general interest.
Rivera has spoken about the team a few times already in interviews, generally expressing his optimism for the chance to work with the Redskins roster and staff. Among other things, Rivera has expressed confidence in Dwayne Haskins, his new coaching hires, the team’s young core, and the talent on defense, where comments have led some to believe he’ll be giving many underachievers another chance.
It’s hard to expect Rivera to say anything particularly different at the NFL Combine, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to the different setting. Will he give a fairly resounding commitment to Dwayne Haskins, or will he leave that discussion open-ended, both to motivate Haskins to work for the job and to potentially raise suspicions of quarterback interest, and thus increase trade potential? Will he provide an update on Trent Williams? Quinton Dunbar? Free agent strategies? Other things?
If nothing else, it will be very interesting to see how Rivera uses the opportunity to speak on Wednesday. We’ll have updates for you once the event concludes.