Category: Latest Washington News

Ron Rivera taps QB Dwayne Haskins as his next Cam Newton in Washington

After naming Haskins the starting QB on Wednesday, Rivera pointed out the trust he had in Cam Newton years ago, hoping for the same now.

It was announced by Ron Rivera on Wednesday afternoon that quarterback Dwayne Haskins would be the starter in Washington for Week 1 of the 2020 season, and that spot would remain his for the foreseeable future, should injuries stay away.

This didn’t come as a major shock to anyone, as Haskins seemingly ran away with the starting spot during training camp, breezing by both Kyle Allen and Alex Smith. Hearing Rivera say that Haskins would be the starter may not have been anything special, but listening to him describe the confidence he had in the second-year player was definitely worth your time.

Rivera’s commitment to Cam Newton in Carolina ended up paying off in a huge way, leading the Panthers to an NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance. Now, Rivera has the chance to groom another young and potentially dynamic QB who has the same high aspirations that Newton has held during his career.

They’re very different players, but Rivera obviously sees something similar between the two. Hopefully Haskins can have as much success as Cam had with Rivera, and maybe even more.

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Washington should consider bringing in WR Mohamed Sanu for 2020 season

The Patriots released Mohamed Sanu on Wednesday, which could open a door for Washington to bring in the veteran who is familiar with Haskins.

Former Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu has bounced around a bit in the past couple of seasons, and he is likely to be on the move once again, with news breaking that the Patriots released him on Wednesday.

If you’re a fan of the Washington Football Team, this should make your ears perk up a little bit, not only because Sanu is a capable veteran WR who could add some much-needed depth to the roster, but also because he has a solid relationship with quarterback Dwayne Haskins. As The Athletic’s Mark Bullock noted, the two have had a strong line of communication for the past year or so.

It will be interesting to see what Ron Rivera chooses to do here because you could argue pretty equally for or against bringing Sanu to Washington. On the one hand, Sanu is a veteran pass-catcher who could give Haskins another target downfield, but there is also not a huge expectation to be good this year in Washington, and it might be more valuable to give the young guys as many reps as you can to better prepare them for the future.

Still, I think that it would behoove both Haskins and the offense to throw another solid receiver into the mix and see if he can help spur on the offense a bit. What do you have to lose?

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Washington officially names Dwayne Haskins the starting QB for Week 1

Ron Rivera announced on Wednesday that Dwayne Haskins would be the starting QB for Washington Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Washington Football Team has officially announced that Dwayne Haskins will be the starting quarterback Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.

This is an expected move, as Haskins has been playing with the No. 1’s during training camp, and the other QBs involved in the competition have not threatened his spot as much as expected. The way that Haskins has been able to step up and take control of the new offense under OC Scott Turner is impressive.

With Haskins at the helm, the Washington offense will hopefully be able to grow during the 2020 season and continue to progress forwards and find some success at some point. It’s clear now that this is Haskins’ job, and he will hopefully hold on to it for years to come.

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Washington trades 2021 sixth-round pick for OT David Sharpe

Washington traded a 2021 sixth-round pick for OT David Sharpe, and they will get a 2021 7th-round pick in return.

It looks like the Washington Football Team is seeking some help at the tackle position, as news has broken that they are trading a future draft pick for Davide Sharpe, formerly with the Las Vegas Raiders.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Washington will be giving up a 2021 sixth-round pick for Sharpe, and will be getting a 2021 7th-round pick in return.

Sharpe is a 6-foot-6, 330 pound tackle who has played in the NFL since 2017, appearing in 24 games. He will instantly have a chance to win the starting left tackle position in Washington, competing with Geron Christian, Cornelius Lucas, and Saahdiq Charles, who was drafted this past season. With roster cuts coming this weekend, Sharpe will have to make his presence felt quickly if he wishes to stick around for long, but the fact that Washington would trade a future asset for him alludes to the fact that they like what they are getting in return.

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Washington honors both Sean Taylor, Joe Gibbs with changing of street names

Washington chose to rename a couple of streets near the stadium after both Sean Taylor and Joe Gibbs ahead of 2020 season.

The Washington Football Team is finding a cool way to pay tribute to two franchise legends in D.C., both coach Joe Gibbs and safety Sean Taylor.

To do so, the team announced on Wednesday that they changed their headquarters address to Coach Gibbs Drive, with the main road leading to the stadium now going by Sean Taylor Road. The team says that road signs and signage at the stadium and headquarters to be updated prior to the 2020 season opener as part of the franchise rebrand.

“As we look forward and build a modern identity that everyone can be proud of, it’s imperative that we revere tremendous individuals who have had a positive influence on the franchise and our fanbase,” said team owner Dan Snyder in a statement. “There are no two people more deserving that Sean Taylor and Joe Gibbs.”

Coach Gibbs was a three-time Super Bowl champion, as well as being named the Coach of the Year twice in his career, and he has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As for Taylor, he was a legend in the making in Washington before both his life and his career were tragically cut short when he was murdered in 2007. His name has lived on in the hearts of Washington fans for years, and now it will continue on for decades into the future.

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ESPN leaves Washington out of Top 100 players list for 2020 season

Washington got the cold shoulder when it comes to ESPN’s top 100 list yet again, which likely won’t change until they win some games.

Once again, the Washington Football Team is being left on the side of the dance floor, waiting for someone to offer them a hand. This time, it’s ESPN who left them out of the prestigious Top 100 Players for 2020 list that they put out before each season, detailing who they think will be the most notable and impactful players in the entire league. They asked a panel of 46 ESPN NFL experts to rate players based on how good they will be in the 2020 season in comparison to their peers.

Of course, there isn’t a major expectation that Washington should be getting 4-5 players called out for this exercise, but really? Does not one player deserve to be there? Is Terry McLaurin worse than A.J. Brown? Is Landon Collins worse than Kevin Byard? Is Brandon Scherff worse than Mitchell Schwartz?

Washington wasn’t the only team to be left out of the list, with the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets being left out as well. Expectations for a successful season aren’t exactly through the roof, but anyone who has been watching and following along with training camp in Washington knows that there are at least a handful of players that would be stars on any other team, especially if wins were more prevalent.

That just means that this list in the future will look different, assuming that Washington can start to pick up these wins that we keep predicting.

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Washington WR Terry McLaurin predicted to have over 900 yards, 8 touchdowns in 2020

McLaurin was a major player in fantasy football last season, and he’s expected to have just as much of an impact going forward.

After a stellar rookie season where he put up over 900 yards and seven touchdowns, expectations for Terry McLaurin’s sophomore year in the NFL are definitely high.

Coming into the 2020 season as one of the best receivers in his draft class, McLaurin now has the goal of becoming one of the best receivers in all of the NFL. So what are realistic expectations for the former Ohio State star? At The Huddle, they are projecting Jacobs to total 980 yards and eight touchdowns on 68 receptions, making him the 23rd ranked WR. Take a look at their thoughts on McLaurin this season:

Despite poor quarterback play, McLaurin delivered a strong rookie campaign and became the No. 1 option in the Washington passing attack. If Dwayne Haskins can make strides in his second year under center, 1,000 yards and WR2 production could both be on tap for McLaurin in 2020.

Unfortunately for McLaurin, he plays at a position where his own talent level is not the only factor in his production. One of the most impressive things about his stand-out rookie campaign was the fact that he was able to put up such impressive numbers with a major lack of consistency at the quarterback position. Coming into this season, expectations for Dwayne Haskins are higher as well, and there is a hope that the two can further their connection, one that has been in the works since their time together at Ohio State in college.

At the moment, McLaurin has an average draft position (ADP) of 58, according to ESPN, which means he’s being taken somewhere around the fifth round for most leagues. While reports from Washington’s training camp have been that the offense is looking solid, public perception of the unit is still low, so don’t be surprised if you are able to grab Terry when your time comes around.

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Can you roster QB Dwayne Haskins on your fantasy football team in 2020?

Haskins was not relevant for fantasy football in 2019, but his outlook going forward may cause you to look at picking him up.

There are now less than two weeks until the 2020 NFL season kicks off, so if you have been putting your fantasy football homework off due to the uncertainty brought forth by the coronavirus, it’s time to dust off those rankings.

It might be yet another tough season to find fantasy production from your favorite players in Washington, but there are a few guys who you might consider drafting and plugging into your starting spot. While WR Terry McLaurin is the obvious choice, another player to consider is QB Dwayne Haskins.

You may have just asked yourself, ‘Can I really play Dwayne Haskins as my starting quarterback?’

You’re not alone, and it’s a fair question to ask. After his tumultuous rookie season, expectations are a bit higher for the second-year player, though he isn’t likely to blow the roof off of the stadium just yet. Our friends over at The Huddle have predicted that Haskins will finish the 2020 season with 3,100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Here is what they have to say about him:

Haskins started to show signs of life at the end of last season, but it was a lackluster rookie campaign overall. It is encouraging to hear that he has been dedicated this offseason, but he is still no more than a low-end QB2 heading into 2020.

At the moment, Haskins’ average draft position (ADP) is 286th, according to ESPN, meaning he is going undrafted in your typical league. That can be taken both ways, seeing as if you want him on your team, there’s hardly a chance that anyone else will beat you to the punch. However, it also shows how low the collective confidence in him is to perform.

What it all comes down to, obviously, is how comfortable he feels running the offense this year. Near the end of 2019, we saw Haskins go on a stretch of a few games where he started to put some things together and look like a capable passer. Of course, he is also working under yet another new coaching staff and offensive coordinator this season, which can’t help the learning process. So far in training camp, he looks much-improved over the rookie version of himself, but coach Ron Rivera admitted that there is still some growing to do.

It’s unlikely that you’ll start Haskins on your fantasy team early on in the season, but if you are a Washington fan who wishes to take him as a late-round flier and stash him on your bench to see what he does? Nobody can blame you for that.

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NFL to take over investigation into alleged workplace harassment in Washington

Goodell informed Dan Snyder that the NFL would be taking over the investigation into workplace misconduct in Washington.

The NFL is reportedly taking over the investigation into Dan Snyder and the Washington Football Team, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The investigation is stemming workplace misconduct and harassment that has been thoroughly reported on over the last couple of months. An outside party was originally investigating the situation, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed Snyder of the change earlier today.

With the recent turmoil going on with Washington, many have wondered if an investigation would lead to team owner Dan Snyder being forced to sell the team, but unless the 31 other owners forced Snyder out, there isn’t much precedence for the NFL to force a sale.

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