Category: Latest Washington News

Dwayne Haskins says he couldn’t stand Joe Burrow at Ohio State

Haskins and Burrow were pitted in a QB competition in college, and Haskins says the two couldn’t stand each other during that period of time.

As photos and stories from NFL training camps start to surface, and fans are overjoyed with the sight of their favorite players getting together and preparing for the 2020 NFL season, it’s easy to think that all the players pictured are best of friends, and they couldn’t be happier to be together.

However, a recent story from Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins shows that this may not always be the case in football. It has little to do with the Washington Football Team, but Haskins’ story from college shines a light on the relationships that come from fierce competitions in camp.

This story has to do with two quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round, and how they got along when they played together at Ohio State and competed for the QB1 position. We’re talking about Haskins and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

“I love Joe but during that battle, for almost two years, me and Joe couldn’t stand each other,” Haskins said on Monday’s Ring Chronicles series from FOX. “Every day, whether it was morning workouts or when we had to do mat drills and it’d be me and him on the mat drill, it was gritty. Or it was practice and me and him are trying to get in front of each other to get a rep to throw to one of the starting receivers. It was always this heated competition but we knew we got the best out of each other. He made it hard for me and I made it hard for him and I didn’t let him take it away.”

Haskins ended up winning the starting job and having one of the better seasons for a college QB in recent memory, while Burrow ended up transferring to LSU, where he would eventually top Haskins by putting together arguably the best season for a college QB in recent memory.

In the end, both found their way to the NFL, and they will now face off in Week 11 when Washington hosts the Bengals. If they were able to bring out the best in each other back at Ohio State, then that game is sure to be one to watch.

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Are we underestimating how quickly Alex Smith might be ready to play?

Ron Rivera said on Tuesday that he could envision Smith being part of the QB competition in camp, which would be a huge step going forward.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera took the mic on Tuesday morning and talked with several media members about what’s taken place in training camp over the past week, updating several position battles and mentioning players who he has been impressed with so far.

While doing so, he made a very interesting comment about the quarterback situation, where he said that he was “pleasantly surprised” with the progress that Smith has made as of late, and that he can even envision him being part of the quarterback competition during this year’s training camp.

Wait for a second, say that again, please?

It wasn’t long ago when Smith was fully cleared by his doctors to participate in football activities, and he recently worked out for the Washington team doctors as well, where he failed the football part of his physical. Many fans and media members alike took this to mean that Smith is healthy enough to move around a bit and fire off some passes, but there is no way he’s padding up and taking snaps under center any time soon.

The comments from Rivera definitely paint a different picture though. Smith wouldn’t be participating in the competition with both Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen unless he was physically ready to play in a game. Washington placed Smith on the PUP list before training camp started, which buys them some time to evaluate his progress, but he can be pulled from that list and moved to the active roster at any time.

Might that process take place sooner than we were lead to believe? Maybe. For now, we will have to wait and see what happens in the next couple weeks of camp.

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Top quotes: Ron Rivera updates several position battles getting set in training camp

With about a week of training camp practices in our rearview mirror, Rivera sat down with media members to discuss the progress so far.

With another day of training camp in the books and another day on the horizon, we got the chance to hear from Washington head coach Ron Rivera on Tuesday morning as he sat down with media members to discuss what he’s seen so far from the team, and what he expects to see going forward.

Now that we’re about a week into all of this, Rivera rightfully gave us an update on several position battle throughout the roster, as well as delving into the development of both Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins. Here are the best quotes from his talk with the media.

 

 

Jack Del Rio addresses his use of Twitter, support for open conversations

Jack Del Rio is not afraid to speak his mind on social media, and he addressed that on Monday, saying he encourages the conversation.

There was a brief period of time earlier this offseason when Washington defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio fired off a series of controversial tweets on social media, but it blew over quickly.

In an interview with The Athletic‘s Ben Standig on Monday, Del Rio talked about using social media, and why it’s important to him to have the ability to get his voice out there.

“I am open to discuss at any time with anyone my thoughts and respectfully have exchanges,” Del Rio said. “It’s just not always possible in today’s environment. I think it’s important to be able to have your own opinion and respect for each other.”

Del Rio’s comments earlier this offseason rubbed a number of people the wrong way, as he proclaimed his support for President Trump and had a message for anyone who wasn’t “with America.”

“People may have an opinion that is different than mine, which is okay,” Del Rio said. “I’m okay with actually having a conversation about it with anyone, including my players.”

With a litany of different opinions in an NFL locker room, I’m sure that Del Rio will continue to encourage these conversations as our world continues to figure things out going forward. Having a strong voice who is supportive of open dialogues is always a good thing for players in their formative years, and it will surely help the culture in Washington.

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Top quotes: DL coach Sam Mills emphasizes hard work and depth in elite unit

Washington’s new defensive line coach knows that he has a talented group on his hands, and he will make sure they work hard.

As we continue to hear from some of the new coaches in Washington for the first time since being hired this offseason, it was defensive line coach Sam Mill’s turn on Monday, as he met with media members in Washington to discuss his transition to a new team, and what his outlook was for the coming season.

Mills is in a unique position as far as coaches in Washington go, as the defensive line is supposed to be far and away the best unit on the team. While the rest of the positional units on the team will be working to develop young players and best strive for a bright future, the time is now for Washington’s defensive line. Here are some of the top quotes from what Mills had to say about that.

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LB Josh Harvey-Clemons opts out of 2020 season in Washington

Several roster moves were made in Washington on Monday, with LB Josh Harvey-Clemons deciding to opt-out of the coming season.

A number of roster moves were made in Washington on Monday afternoon, the biggest of which was linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons choosing to opt out of the 2020 NFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic. This follows a recent trend in the NFL where a number of players have decided to forego the coming season in light of their health and safety.

In other roster moves, Washington waived DE Cameron Laveaux, DB Maurice Smith, and TE Caleb Wilson, while cutting RB Josh Ferguson. Those players will now be free to join other teams for training camp sessions ahead of the coming season.

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TE Jordan Reed agrees to one-year deal with San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Reed was unable to stay healthy down the stretch in Washington, but will now look to continue his career in San Francisco.

Another long-time former Washington player has found a new home in San Francisco this season, as tight end Jordan Reed as agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers for the 2020 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Reed will join former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and will now play alongside LT Trent Williams in San Francisco once again.

Reed had a great career in Washington, but it was eventually plagued by injuries down the stretch. He looked good in training camp ahead of the 2019 season, but a concussion suffered in the preseason kept him out of the entire season. Many thought that he should consider retirement this offseason, but he instead declared his intent to keep playing and now will be doing so alongside George Kittle with the former NFC Champions.

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