Redskins: Five questions that need to be answered in free agency
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – How will the Redskins supplement the quarterback situation?
Redskins head coach Ron Rivera has made it clear that he has confidence in Dwayne Haskins’ potential, and he should; the Ohio State product learned a great deal over the course of his rookie season, and managed to recover from a dysfunctional early environment to end the season on a high note. He’s now frequenting the halls of the team facility in the offseason, and coaches are impressed with how he’s working ahead of Year 2.
Haskins should have the starting job in 2020; it’s the only responsible course of action to take after investing a first-round pick. But Rivera has also made clear that he won’t simply hand the job to Haskins. Rivera, with the team’s two backups on the way out, will have to add someone new to the quarterback room, and that someone could function as competition for Haskins.
As for who the Redskins will add at quarterback, that’s less clear. There have been some vague reports that the Redskins could be interested in former starters with varying degrees of utility, such as Philip Rivers or Marcus Mariota. But making a move for a signal caller that will demand substantial attention on the open market doesn’t seem like a smart allocation of assets for a team that has Haskins. A better bet might be Chase Daniel, or Chad Henne, or Drew Stanton; a signal caller in a similar mold to Keenum, with the experience to help Haskins and be reliable if forced into action. But will Rivera’s desire to make Haskins earn it lead to something bigger?