Washington is reportedly open to trading Dwayne Haskins. But apparently, the rest of the league isn’t as interested.
The team has yet to receive any calls about the 23-year-old quarterback ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, according to multiple reports.
The Athletic, citing a league executive, reported last month that “nobody is trading for Haskins, at least not for any value.” On Monday, the outlet added that teams are more interested in pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan — not Haskins.
On Monday, coach Ron Rivera refused to address rumors involving Haskins, Kerrigan or any of his other players. But Haskins’ future with Washington remains a prominent question ever since Rivera demoted him to third-string last month.
In the weeks since Haskins’ benching, there have been multiple reports that Haskins’ camp favors a trade and believes a fresh start would be the best for his career. Drafted 15th overall in 2019, the 23-year-old started 11 games for Washington, including four this season before Rivera turned to Kyle Allen. Throughout Haskins’ time, there have been questions raised about the Ohio State product’s maturity and the coaching staffs’ desire to have him on the roster.
Last month, Rivera said he had not given up on Haskins despite the switch at quarterback.
“Again, as I said, I have not quit on the kid as far as his development,” Rivera said. “This is an opportunity for him to continue to learn and grow and develop. Dwayne’s a young man that’s learning and growing. He hasn’t been in the system. He hasn’t had the benefit of a full offseason. He hasn’t had the benefit of a true training camp.”
Rumors persist, though, that Washington would be willing to entertain a trade. The NFL Network reported that the team is open to a deal for “the right price,” while ESPN and CBS Sports have described a deal — either at the deadline or in the future — as inevitable.
The apparent lukewarm interest in Haskins makes sense. Any team trading for him now wouldn’t likely be doing so with the intention of making him a starter. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars could use help at quarterback because of injuries, but none of those options appear logical. Dallas is in the division and the Jaguars have Jay Gruden as their offensive coordinator. Neither team should be giving up draft capital in an attempt to win now.
Beyond the quarterback landscape across the league, a team would also have to be sold on Haskins. And that isn’t a sure thing, either. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King noted that Haskins wasn’t “universally loved” coming out of Ohio State. Since arriving in the NFL, Haskins has also had moments off the field that don’t reflect well on his judgment either. During his rookie year, he missed the final snap of his first win because he was taking a picture with a fan. More recently, he was fined for breaking the team’s COVID-19 protocols when he booked a room for a family friend at the team hotel during its road trip at New York.
The belief around the league is that if Haskins is traded, he wouldn’t fetch anything more than a Day 3 pick (rounds 4 through 7). By comparison, Washington traded a fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Allen in March.
“If Washington trades Dwayne Haskins, they will have spent a first-round pick and paid $10M of a four-year $14 million contract with 2.5 years remaining,” former Packers executive Andrew Brandt tweeted Monday. “Suboptimal.”
Washington has until 4 p.m. Tuesday to work out a trade for this season.
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If Washington trades Dwayne Haskins, they will have spent a first-round pick and paid $10M of a four-year $14 million contract with 2.5 years remaining. Suboptimal.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) November 2, 2020
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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