Dwayne Haskins has had a rough time since being selected by the Washington Football team in the first round. The only person in the organization that wanted him was the team owner, Dan Snyder. Despite firing Jay Gruden, Bill Callahan, and bringing in Ron Rivera. It appears Rivera and his staff don’t want him either. A change of scenery might be the best thing for Haskins in the future. The Bears need a quarterback of the future, and Haskins might be the guy.
It’s all but obvious that Mitchell Trubisky has seen his last days in a Chicago Bears uniform. Matt Nagy was looking for an excuse to bench him and found one against the Atlanta Falcons. Although Nick Foles is the starting quarterback right now, he’s not a guy you can build a franchise around. Foles inconsistencies on the field became evident in the past two weeks.
Dwayne Haskins is still a raw talent developed into the first-round potential as when Washington took him. Haskins is still on his rookie deal and is easily affordable. He once beat out Joe Burrow for the starting job at Ohio State, so the potential is there. The Bears also wouldn’t have to offer a high draft pick for him. He played in nine game his rookie year and started seven going 119 of 203 for 1,365 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran 20 times for 101 yards. Despite being sacked 29 times, you have to remember how poor that offensive line is in Washington. He has thrown for 939 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions in the four games he’s started this season. In the game before his benching, Haskins threw for a career-best 308 yards.
The pessimist will say that the Bear’s recent experience with the developmental quarterback isn’t great. Look what happened with Mitchell Trubisky. Like Trubisky, Haskins only started one full year in college football. Unlike Trubisky, Haskins was a Heisman finalist, he thrived in a top-ranked football program, and he played exceptionally well in his bowl appearance.
Another argument against getting Haskins is that he reportedly doesn’t have a great work ethic, and that’s a big reason he lost the job as a starter. Still, he’s a young player, and he could benefit from the minds of Matt Nagy and John DeFilippo. He could also learn from the current starter, Nick Foles, who is an excellent mentor. After all, Foles would have to do is show Haskins the Super Bowl ring to prove it.
Those who say that Mitch is better than Haskins aren’t comparing them correctly. Their stats over 13 starts are more similar than people think. The only difference is that Haskins has been through more head coaches in his 13 starts then Mitch has in his fourth year.
As the case is with most Washington quarterbacks in the 21 century, they always seem to be in unfortunate situations. Dwayne Haskins didn’t benefit from OTA’s, minicamp, and the preseason due to Covid-19. It wasn’t his fault that the only guy in the organization who wanted him was Dan Snyder. That Washington’s coaching staff are never stable, the team can’t surround him with weapons, and that his offensive coordinator, Scott Turner, seems to be trying to learn on the fly.
Haskins has plenty of time to still develop into a star and has flashed some promise at times. The Bears probably won’t be drafting toward the top given their 4-1 start, unless Chicago signs a free agent quarterback, they’ll most likely have to draft one. Haskins thrived at a big-time program, and the Bears would be wise not to make the mistake they did with Trubisky by picking him over another quarterback who also was great at a national title contender. Chicago can surround him with better weapons, and he would have the stability needed to learn and grow.
An opportunity rarely arises where you can pick up a former first-round draft pick for a worth a day two or three draft choice. Brett Favre was once a raw talent and thrived when his scenery changed. If the Bears want to find that future quarterback, it’s worth the cheap draft choice to see if Haskins is it. Many teams have been able to take advantage of Washington’s many mistakes over the years, and now the Bears can too.
