Dwayne Haskins 'Doing a Great Job' During Redskins Meetings, Per OC Scott Turner
May 28, 2020
Even though second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins is unable to work out in front of his coaches, Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Scott Turner is encouraged with his progress this offseason.
"When we're talking to him [on Zoom sessions], he's speaking the language," Turner said to reporters, per ESPN.com's John Keim. "It's pretty easy to tell if they get it or not. Dwayne's doing a great job."
Haskins only had one year of starting experience at Ohio State before making the jump to the NFL, so few should've been surprised to see him struggle as a rookie. Washington threw him into the deep end before he was ready, and he finished with 1,365 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He appeared to be turning a corner toward the end of 2019 as he went 31-of-43 for 394 yards and four touchdowns in his final two appearances before suffering a high-ankle sprain.
Heading into the 2020 draft, it looked like the franchise was considering a change in direction already. Washington had the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa thrown out as a possibility.
The Sun Sentinel's Safid Deen reported in February that Washington met with Tagovailoa at the NFL Scouting Combine and told him it saw a future in which he'd compete with Haskins for the starting job.
The move wouldn't have been without precedent. The Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick in 2019, one year after using the 10th overall selection on Josh Rosen.
But the Redskins ultimately took Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young, an indication they remain behind Haskins for the time being. While they acquired Kyle Allen from the Carolina Panthers in March, that was more about shoring up their depth at quarterback rather than adding competition.
The NFL allowed teams to begin reopening their practice facilities on a limited basis, but the coronavirus pandemic has prevented players and coaches from working together in person this offseason.
Turner explained how he and Haskins have at least been able to study film over video conferencing, which will help Haskins understand better how to read opposing defenses when he's back on the field.