Let us be clear right off the bat: There is no rumor of this happening in Washington, it’s just a thought experiment. The question is begging to be asked.
Is there any chance that the Redskins could draft a quarterback in 2020 and move away from Dwayne Haskins already? We saw it done with Josh Rosen in Arizona prior to this season, where the former No. 10 pick in the 2018 draft was traded to the Miami Dolphins after just a year playing with the Cardinals. In his absence, Arizona drafted Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Who’s to say that Washington doesn’t employ that same strategy this year with Haskins, who was the No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft? The Redskins are already on a trajectory that will slot them with one of the highest picks in the draft, and recent buzz around Washington is that Haskins has not lived up to the hopes so far, as some coaches think that he could still be a year or two away from leading the franchise. In one regular-season game so far this year, Haskins went 9-for-17 against the Giants with 107 yards, three interceptions, and zero touchdowns. When you compare that to the performances we’ve already seen from Murray, Daniel Jones, and Gardner Minshew, it’s easy to have buyer’s remorse if you’re the Redskins.
So what would a Rosen-type strategy look like in Washington? It’s pretty simple, really, and the tracks are already pointed in the right direction. They would need to ensure losses in approximately 10 of their next 11 games, and make sure that they have a No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft. From there, a superb college quarterback class has them primed for success. With Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Washington’s Jacob Eason, and Colorado’s Steven Montez, the Redskins could do well to find a franchise QB somewhere in the mix.
USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire posed the same question earlier this week, and this is what they said:
The Redskins need to make a splash with their new head coach. If they sign a big-name, they may have to take some power away from Bruce Allen. They may have to agree that personnel moves are made without owner input. No one expects Dan Snyder an Allen to give up that power but its possible. Yes, they both love Haskins and want him to play, but if a new coach can convince them Tua or Herbert is the answer, then they have to trade Haskins.
It may be a grim thought experiment, but in the end, it could land the Redskins with the franchise QB they always wanted. That QB just may not be the one they thought they had this past April.
