The Washington Redskins have been hesitant to decide on a starter at this point in the offseason. Regardless, head coach Jay Gruden is still expecting quarterback Dwayne Haskins to prepare as if it will be him under center in the 2019 NFL season opener.
Gruden was able to get his first look at Haskins in the offense during their recent practices. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, he is hoping the rookie uses the upcoming break to his full advantage:
“It’s very important,” coach Jay Gruden told reporters on Tuesday regarding Haskins’ use of his time away from practice. “He has to learn it. If he feels like he is a little bit unsure of anything he has to study it and continue to go over it in his mind and rehash it. He will have plenty of videos to watch and all that good stuff. Dwayne is going to work hard at it, that’s for sure.
“When he comes back to camp, hopefully it will be more natural to him, calling plays in the huddle. Like I said before, it is his first time he has had to do it. We threw a lot at him, formations, motions, protections, route concepts, run concepts, audible, two-minute, no huddle, all of that stuff. There is a lot to learn for the kid, but we want to get it all out there for him so he has an understanding of what it is going to be like come training camp. A long way to go, but I like where he is at.”
Gruden's comments are certainly understandable. The transition to the NFL is difficult for any player, however, quarterbacks undoubtedly face the biggest challenge. not only are they expected to be 100 percent physically, but they must be aware of every player's assignment on offense as well. emerging into a future franchise quarterback comes with its own set of unique challenges, the last thing he needs is to be unsure of the playbook.
Although Gruden has set the expectations high for Haskins, Washington has made sure to shore up some stability under center this offseason. The rookie will be competing with longtime backup quarterback Colt McCoy and quarterback Case Keenum for the starting job. It is safe to say that McCoy currently holds the best grasp of the offense since he is entering his sixth season in Washington. Meanwhile, Keenum has become quite adept at learning new playbooks after serving as a bit of a journeyman throughout his NFL career.
Gruden's approach has indicated that the team would ideally like to take their time with Haskins' development. Regardless, the onus will be on him to prove that he is ready to go once the regular season rolls around.
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