The Washington Redskins had an unfortunate season in 2019, led by rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. While success eluded them, we can now put that season to bed and look forward. With a new coaching staff at the helm and a fresh culture in the locker room, the 2020 Redskins have higher hopes than they did a year ago, and a lot of their season will be determined by what Haskins can do in his second year.
While his own play in 2019 wasn’t up to par with the rest of the league, he was also not helped a great deal by the players around him. Whether it was having a defense who routinely gave up 30-plus points or the lack of a tight end safety outlet, Haskins was routinely put into a position where he couldn’t succeed. So, going into 2020, who are the biggest players who can step up to help around him? Here’s who we have an eye on:
Derrius Guice
A solid running game is a QB’s best friend, as it allows him to get the ball out of his hands quickly and let his weapons go to work. Likewise, if an RB is rolling, that single-handedly moves the offense forward and gets the defense to bite down to stop him, opening up passing lanes in the secondary. In 2019, we saw flashes of how great Guice can be, but it was always derailed by injuries and left us wanting for more. Should he be able to return to the field and stay healthy in 2020, there’s no telling what his production could mean for the Redskins offense. We don’t want to overlook Adrian Peterson and his production over the past two years, but there was something about watching Guice last season that made us think that he really has what it takes if he stays on the field.
Logan Thomas // Richard Rodgers
It is unclear as to who will take over as the TE1 on the Washington roster in 2020, but whoever it ends up being needs to step up in a major way. In 2019, Haskins had to watch as both Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis were sidelined for the majority of the year, and he was forced to rely on Jeremy Sprinkle and Hale Hentges to bail him out of tough spots. Everyone knows that there’s arguably no position of greater value to a rookie quarterback than a big pass-catcher who can go up and get the ball over the middle, and Haskins didn’t have that in his first year.
While many thought that Washington would go out and grab one of the best TEs on the market in free agency, or at the very least draft one in April, they did neither. Instead, the Redskins signed both Thomas and Rodgers — two middling pass-catchers who haven’t proved much in their careers. That’s fine, we can work with it, but they have a lot of proving themselves to do be for we, or Dwayne, can trust them in tight spots.
Saahdiq Charles // Cornelius Lucas
Like at the TE position, it’s anyone’s guess who will end up winning the starting left tackle job, but whoever it is needs to be solid as a rock. After letting Trent Williams go in a trade to the San Francisco 49ers, the Redskins told the world that they’re trusting the players they have, and hoping that they can mold Charles — a fourth-round draft pick in 2020 — into the next serviceable blindside protector in Washington.
If the offense is to get off the ground in 2020, Haskins will need to be able to drop back and sit in the pocket without the constant fear of being hit every play. If whoever is playing LT can make sure of that, then the Redskins might be fun to watch this season.
Antonio Gandy-Golden
It’s not a shock that we have a wide receiver on this list, but it may shock you which WR we pegged to help Haskins the most. The truth is, if any of Washington’s wide-outs are able to break out in 2019 — or continue to play at a high level, in Terry McLaurin’s case — then it will do wonders for Haskins. My eye is on AGG to bring the most to the table out of the receiver corps. This is due directly to his size, which is something he has over every other receiver on the roster.
At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, AGG has the ability to be a solid possession receiver and go up and get the ball in high-traffic areas. Haskins already said this offseason that he thinks the former Liberty player will fit in great with Washington’s offense.
“Watching AGG…play above the rim, that’s something we needed on offense,” Haskins said, via Redskins.com.
While McLaurin (6-foot), Steven Sims (5-foot-10), and Kelvin Harmon (6-foot-2) are all great players who can have an impact, AGG brings a different element to the receiving corps.
The Entire Defensive Line
This may be a cop-out answer, but I don’t really care; if the defensive line is as dominant as expected in 2020, it will directly lead to the Redskins winning some games.
With a rotation of Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and Ryan Kerrigan all shuffling in on the front line, a dominant display of rushing the quarterback and shutting down the run is expected to take place in Washington, which will hopefully negate much scoring by the other team. If the defense is able to keep the point total low, that will give Haskins a lot of wiggle room, and likely land a few victories right in his lap. The defense in 2019 routinely gave up 25-35 points per game, making it nearly impossible for a rookie quarterback to even have a chance to sniff a win. However, if the Redskins can hold opponents to 14-21 points per game? Now you’re in business.
