Did the Washington Redskins trade for backup quarterback Kyle Allen so he could remain a QB2, or do they think he might usurp the starting job from Dwayne Haskins?
Does it matter?
At the moment, no, but it’s at least something to ponder. The Redskins traded a fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in order to acquire Allen, which is a considerably high draft pick, especially when you take into account the fact that the Redskins got just a fifth-rounder in return for CB Quinton Dunbar. That price shows that they have some real belief in his talents, and at the very least, they believe he can be a serviceable player when called upon to step in.
But when will that be? Could he be the first player to be called upon in Week 1? He seems to think that he has a chance to be. On a conference call with media members in Washington, Allen said that he knows he is being brought in to compete with Haskins, which has become a way of life for the two of them.
Kyle Allen said after talking to the coaches "The expectation is to come in and compete for the job. That's an awesome opportunity."
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 31, 2020
Kyle Allen on the Redskins new offense: "I think continuity in the system is going to be huge for me."
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) March 31, 2020
It’s not hard to believe that Allen has a leg up on Haskins, as well. He has more experience in the league, and he is more familiar with the Redskins new system, ironically, than Haskins is. Of course, Dwayne who was the No. 15 overall pick in 2019, has a bit more arm talent, and a higher ceiling, but he also showed an inability to grasp the speed of the NFL quickly in his rookie season, and that’s where Allen could beat him out.
We won’t have an answer to this question until training camp rolls around, whenever that may be, but it’s at least intriguing to think about.
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