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Five biggest storylines to watch during Washington Football Team’s training camp

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team walks off the field after the New York Jets defeated the Redskins 34-17 at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team walks off the field after the New York Jets defeated the Redskins 34-17 at FedExField on November 17, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball during the second quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball during the second quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

2. How Dwayne Haskins improves ahead of his second season

There was a reason that Washington wanted to give Dwayne Haskins a chance to develop on the sideline for a season. And fans got to see that on full display in 2019.

Haskins had a poor first season at the NFL level. The Ohio State product didn’t look ready to be an NFL passer when thrust into action early in the season. He struggled with his accuracy and turned the ball over too often early in the season. Nonetheless, he was on the field as Jay Gruden and Bill Callahan tried desperately to turn around a lost Washington season.

But at the end of the year, Haskins flashed the ability that made him a first-round pick. In his last three starts, Haskins posted a 67 percent completion rate, 564 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. He looked like a more confident passer who showcased some of the skills that made him a sought-after prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Still, heading into his second NFL season, Haskins needs to improve. He has to become more consistent. He has to work on his overall ability to read the field. And his ball placement needs to improve as it did late in the season.

Under a new coaching staff including quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, Haskins should have a chance to do that. He is going into this year better prepared for the NFL. He was only a one-year starter at Ohio State and he simply needed more seasoning before being thrust into NFL action. Now, he has that. And as we saw last year, with more experience, he got better.

Related Story. Why Ken Zampese fits well as Washington's QB coach. light

Haskins will have to find success in 2020 despite lacking solid protection on the offensive line and weapons outside of McLaurin and Sims in the receiving corps. But he should be better than he was last year and at the very least, he needs to show that he’s a solid starter this year. If he doesn’t make a big enough leap or worse, plateaus or regresses, Washington will have a decision to make about the quarterback position in 2021.

For now, there’s reason to be optimistic about Haskins. But camp will give fans, coaches, and analysts alike a chance to evaluate his improvement ahead of his second season. He’ll be under the microscope this season, but he’ll have every chance to prove that he belongs as a starter in 2020 and beyond.

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