Reasons for and against trading Washington QB Dwayne Haskins
Reasons for and against trading Washington QB Dwayne Haskins originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Just when it seemed as if the situation involving quarterback Dwayne Haskins in Washington was simmering down, a report surfaced from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that a trade involving the second-year passer is “inevitable.”
“I spoke to a source close to the Haskins situation recently who said a trade is probably inevitable at this point, either now or later,” Fowler said on ESPN’s SportsCenter Wednesday evening. “You might as well do it now.”
The thought of trading a player that was filled with a potential and heavy investment this early in his tenure surely comes with some negatives, but it’s not all bad. Here’s a look at the reason for, and against, trading Haskins.
FOR: A clean break
If Washington knows anything, it’s unneeded tension and problems within the team. The organization has seen quite a lot of it over the years and Haskins is the latest example.
Sending the quarterback off puts an end to the entire back-and-forth and all the speculation that comes with him remaining on the roster. Even in head coach Ron Rivera says there is no problem, having Haskins around after it was made clear that the two sides don’t fit together will only act as a distraction. It’s time for a clean break and for Washington to look for a new relationship.
AGAINST: Little return value
Typically, the goal with a first-round pick is to never have to trade them. The second scenario would revolve around getting a solid haul in return if for some reason a trade was on the table. It seems as if Haskins won’t fit either of those narratives as his value is close to an all-time low.
The stigma around him is that he is a quarterback the underperformed in the games he started, was benched after just four weeks of 2020 and is now being rushed out of the franchise that once believed he was the future. Not many teams are going to throw much draft capital at that. Both NBC Sports’ Peter King and ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio don’t see Haskins garnering much at the deadline.
A trade may seem like the only option, but if Washington isn’t going to get a return that warrants giving away your first-round selection from 2019, who happens to be a quarterback, it may be better to just hold tight for now.
RELATED: 4 trade destinations for Dwayne Haskins after Week 7
FOR: At least get something
Sticking with the theme of value and playing devil’s advocate, one could argue that Washington should trade Haskins now just to ensure they get something in return, no matter what it is. While teams may not be willing to give up much now, who is to say that it changes after the season? Who is to say it doesn’t decrease even more?
Haskins isn’t the answer at quarterback, meaning that holding onto him will result in him continuing to sit on the bench, lessening his worth even more. As a new season approaches, new options at quarterback come through the draft and free agency, meaning once interested teams may feel they’re better off going a different route. Now, Washington has Haskins and nothing in return. Does a release become an option? That seems drastic, but there is a doomsday scenario in which the quarterback is gone and there was no value returned.
By trading Haskins now, the franchise at least guarantees to get something, even if it’s not much.
Download and Subscribe to the Washington Football Talk podcast
AGAINST: Another failed pick/quarterback
It’s tough to really come up with cons of trading the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart who feels that a trade is inevitable, but letting go of Haskins would only add to the list of failed projects in Washington.
The quarterback has been a revolving door for many years and Haskins was supposed to end that. Now, even with Kyle Allen playing marginally well, a trade of Haskins only makes it more certain that new passers will be evaluated in the near future.
Add another name to the long jersey of quarterbacks in Washington.