Dwayne Haskins was a wildcard for me coming out of the 2019 NFL Draft. The talent wasn’t hard to see. The arm talent was there but there were plenty of red flags.
A lot of his production came in fluky ways and he was only a one-year collegiate starter needing more time before leading a franchise. All of the scouting in the world can solve most of the mysteries except for the one upstairs. It’s clear that after almost two years in the NFL, Haskins biggest red flag is himself.
A big part of the quarterback position is your intangibles as a leader. Those things are impossible to see unless you get a chance to meet with someone face to face in a pre-draft interview. It’s becoming more and more clear that Haskins just doesn’t have the eye of the tiger. I’m not it’s something you can teach.
More and more things have just started to pile up against Haskins. All of which that I will mention have nothing to do with on the field performance. During the draft, Haskins had a cover charge for family members to attend his draft party. It’s something I ignored but likely shouldn’t have.
During his rookie season, Haskins squeaked out a close win over the Lions. Only problem is he didn’t take the final snap that day. He missed the kneel down because he was too busy taking selfies. Again, another red flag I shouldn’t have ignored. What professional quarterback and leader does that?
Then this past Sunday became the breaking point. It was time to question Haskins’ commitment. Again, it’s hard to accuse quarterbacks of not being good at the leadership stuff unless you interview them yourself. In this case, Haskins is giving all the dirt you need to question is hunger for the game.
After a loss to the Seahawks (a game in which he only started because Alex Smith was injured) Haskins broke COVID protocols and went to party with strippers. I never want to be the stuffy guy who’s seen as anti-fun. I like to party just as much as the next due. This isn’t about the partying. This is being dumb enough to put yourself in a position to get caught. Everyone does stupid stuff. The ones who get caught are the real morons.
Ron Rivera hasn’t been perfect in dealing with Haskins. He’s handled the entire situation poorly from day one. Washington did nothing except put Haskins in a position to fail. Maybe this doesn’t happen in an organization he’s taken care of away from the area in which he grew up. However, it’s time to question Haskins too. Some of the things he’s done just don’t scream franchise quarterback.
I hope Dwayne Haskins matures because he has talent. The former Ohio State quarterback is still raw and needs more seasoning. I’m just not sure it matters if he continues to show he’s doesn’t have the eye of the tiger.
