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Ken Zampese’s history of developing quarterbacks is good news for Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 29: Offensive coordinator Ken Zampese of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on September 29, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Dolphins 22-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 29: Offensive coordinator Ken Zampese of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on September 29, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Dolphins 22-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 17: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins looks to pass against the New York Jets during the first half at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 17: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins looks to pass against the New York Jets during the first half at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

How Zampese can help Dwayne Haskins and the Redskins

So, now we’ve seen what Zampese has done at the NFL level. He has found a lot of success with early-round quarterback selections and has helped to turn them into above-average players at their positions, at least for stretches of time.

Now, the question becomes, can Zampese help Dwayne Haskins progress in his second season in a similar fashion to guys like Palmer, Dalton, and Mayfield? All signs point to yes.

Haskins has an NFL-caliber arm and showed off his ability to make difficult throws at times during his rookie season. Mayfield and Palmer were similar in terms of their arm strength/arm talent, and Zampese essentially helped to let them unleash it on defenses. Would they make mistakes? Sure. But that’s what young quarterbacks do. Zampese may let Haskins have a similar type of free reign to utilize his arm strength, provided that Scott Turner approves of Zampese’s methods and that Haskins isn’t taking too many unnecessary risks.

The bigger area that Zampese will help in is Haskins’ accuracy. Zampese showed a knack for helping quarterbacks make the little adjustments needed to hit targets accurately and place the ball well.

Haskins had a bit of trouble doing that as a rookie. He completed just 58.6 percent of his passes and missed some routine throws. It’s not too surprising that he struggled given that the Ohio State offense he operated in during his college days was fairly easy to read, but it’s still a major area for improvement. Rest assured that Zampese will make that a focal point in Haskins’ improvement. And even if he lets him take some risks, he’ll teach him more about ball placement to make those risky throws even just a touch safer. And reading the field will be something Zampese works on with Haskins as well.

Overall, it looks like Zampese was a good hire. He’s a veteran with a strong track record and has consistently helped players with top-tier talent become solid starters. He’ll be a good mentor for Haskins and if Zampese can eventually get Haskins to be an above-average quarterback like Palmer, Dalton, and Mayfield all were at times during their careers, Redskins fans will be happy.

Next. Redskins Deep Dive - Looking at the QB room. dark

But they’ll be even happier if Zampese can get Haskins past that point and establish him as a franchise quarterback. Whatever happens, it will certainly be interesting to watch.

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