Haskins turning heads at Redskins minicamp
The scene was different for a Washington Redskins rookie minicamp, with three dozen or so media members attending. It's been seven years since they entertained that sort of gathering for a rookie minicamp. But, as in the days of Robert Griffin III, the Redskins have a quarterback as their latest symbol of hope: Dwayne Haskins.
The Redskins don't yet know if Haskins will start this season, as coach Jay Gruden has said there will be an open competition for the No. 1 job. They do know, however, that after two days of rookie minicamp, Haskins has impressed.
"It's been a treat," Gruden said. "He's made some throws that turn your head without a doubt."
The Redskins, who drafted Haskins with the 15th overall pick, are preaching patience. That doesn't mean he won't challenge for the starting job, however, as he was selected that high for a reason.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale
They know there's a learning curve for Haskins, and two days of work against other rookies doesn't lend itself to grand conclusions. On Saturday, in his first work with media present, Haskins showed off his live arm.
Gruden said Haskins threw better Friday than he did Saturday, when he missed on several throws -- some were high, some were behind, and others were on target. During one-on-one work, however, Haskins connected on a number of red-zone passes -- including a perfectly placed fade to former Ohio State teammate Terry McLaurin in the corner of the end zone. In full-team drills, Haskins fumbled one snap from under center.
In 7-on-7 work, Haskins had to dump off multiple times. After a number of plays, one coach or another would offer instruction. He made some throws with anticipation, the ball arriving as a receiver would turn around. He threw deep, though one was intercepted.
Haskins was patient at Ohio State, sitting behind J.T. Barrett for two years before getting his chance this past season. It remains to be seen if he'll need to be that patient in Washington alongside quarterbacks Case Keenum and Colt McCoy, neither of whom has a firm grip on the starting job.
"We're going to throw the ball out there and let them compete," Gruden said. "He obviously displayed enough skill set to warrant the 15th pick, and we'll give him an opportunity to see how far he can take this thing without a doubt."
Gruden has said he does not like a three-man competition for the starting job because it's hard to divide the reps to give each quarterback enough of a chance.nike nfl jerseys cheap china
"The most important thing in the next couple weeks is, let's see how far we can push this guy," Gruden said. "Let's see if there is a chance he can win the job. If we feel like he's coming along slower, then we have to maybe push Case or push Colt. But if we feel like [Haskins] is coming along and he's firing and he's comfortable, then we'll play it out and see what happens."
