Tag: Case Keenum

Case Keenum doesn’t expect to return to Redskins in 2020

Keenum will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and it seems likely that he will be on a new team come the 2020 season.

For Washington Redskins quarterback Case Keenum, the writing may be on the wall. It’s starting to look like he may be headed to his fourth team in as many years, now that the Redskins have gained some confidence in rookie QB Dwayne Haskins.

That isn’t only media speculation that is predicting that Keenum won’t be back with the Redskins in 2020; it’s how Keenum feels about the situation as well. When talking to NBC Sports Washington, Keenum said that he does not envision a return to Washington.

“I have no idea. I would say probably not,” Keenum said via NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay. “I can’t tell the future though.”

Keenum’s time with the Redskins may have been brief, but that doesn’t mean it was without value. While the team was working to get Haskins ready to take the field in the early part of his career, Keenum was a semi-reliable player who started the first eight games of the season. Though the team only picked up a single win against the Miami Dolphins in that time, Keenum actually played decently to kick the year off. He finished his stint in Washington with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games, with a 1-7 record.

Now, though, it appears that the starting job is Haskins’ to lose, despite new coach Ron Rivera’s comments that he would still have to earn the leadership role.

“I think Dwayne did an incredible job towards the end of the season, adapting and getting a lot better,” Keenum said. “I think it’s his team moving forward.”

As for Keenum, it’s tough to predict what might happen next. There is always the chance that the Redskins choose to retain him this offseason and stick him in a backup role behind Haskins. There’s also a likely scenario where he tests the free agency market and finds a team that is in need of a stop-gap quarterback to take the reigns while they try to rebuild their franchise, much like the Redskins did this past year. No matter what happens though, Keenum should be thanked for his efforts in Washington. They weren’t glorious, but they were necessary for the growth of the program.

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4 quarterbacks the Giants could sign to back up Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are in need of a backup to Daniel Jones, so here are four potential options and one extreme long-shot.

The New York Giants will have just one quarterback under contract when the new league year begins in March: Daniel Jones.

Alex Tanney was initially signed through 2020, but after the team released him and later re-signed him in October, it voided his previous deal and was replaced by a one-year deal, according to Spotrac.

As a result, the Giants will need to find a quality backup to help mentor Jones in 2020 and likely beyond. And while the available pool is relatively thin, here’s a look at four possibilities and one extreme long-shot.

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Alex Tanney

Let’s start with the obvious…

Fans were furious when the Giants kept Alex Tanney around this past season, arguing that he was a waste of a roster spot and provided little.

The Giants, of course, insisted Tanney did a lot behind the scenes, which rookie quarterback Daniel Jones agreed with, often praising the veteran for working with him in the building and away from it.

“Alex has been a huge help for me. He’s obviously been in the NFL for a while and knows the game really well,” Jones said in October. “He’s a super smart guy, someone I have a great relationship with and have leaned on to prepare and to get ready to play. With him and Eli in there, I think we have a special room, a special group and I really appreciate all the help from those two guys.”

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Jets’ 6 biggest areas of concern entering the offseason

Offensive Line and Cornerback are among the Jets’ six biggest areas of concern entering the offseason.

As the Jets enter the offseason. the team has glaring holes throughout the roster.

After finishing 7-9, the Jets aren’t exactly a team that is a couple of pieces away from being a Super Bowl contender. New York is in need of remodeling on the offensive line and lacks a No. 1 cornerback and wide receiver.

While Joe Douglas has his work cut out for him, he doesn’t have the most cap space in the NFL readily available, nor does he have copious amounts of premium draft picks. Despite improving by three wins, the Jets are in a similar place this offseason as they were last.

Here are the Jets’ biggest areas of concern entering the offseason.

Offensive Line

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The offensive line is the Jets’ top positional need as they enter the offseason.

Once Gang Green made some much-needed changes to a battered front, the team’s offense started to play better. The changes, which involved moving on from Kelechi Osemele, placing Ryan Kalil and Brian Winters on injured reserve and benching Brandon Shell, paid dividends.

Unfortunately for New York, that isn’t enough to compete next season. Kelvin Beachum, Alex Lewis and Jonotthan Harrison all played relatively well, but they can’t all return as starters. It is likely that the Jets will have at least three new faces on the offensive line.

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Is Dwayne Haskins’ spot as QB1 really in danger under Ron Rivera?

Rivera made it known that Haskins was not a shoo-in for the starting QB spot in Washington last week, but would he really bench the rookie?

We’re starting to get a good feel for what the Washington Redskins coaching staff will look like under Ron Rivera in 2020, but does that mean what they will be operating with the same starting lineup that we assume? More important than the starting lineup as a whole, will the offense be run by the supposed quarterback of the future in Washington?

Will Dwayne Haskins keep his starting job in 2020?

This question was brought up during Rivera’s introductory press conference as the head coach of the Redskins when he said that he thinks there are a couple of good veteran quarterbacks in the program who will get a shot to play as well. That seems like a loaded statement if there ever was one. Let’s try to break it down and see if we can glean anything from it.

Is Rivera not sold on Haskins?

It seems harsh to say that Rivera is totally out on the rookie QB, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t completely bought in, either. Prior to saying that there are veterans that will get a look at the position, he mentioned that Haskins can be a franchise-style quarterback, but he didn’t expect that to happen overnight, and he wasn’t ready to make a decision at the moment. That’s fair, as he hasn’t seen anything that Haskins can do outside of game tape. Maybe once Rivera gets a chance to work with Haskins a bit in mini camp, he will start to feel more comfortable with entrusting his team in No. 7’s hands. Until then, though, the lack of commitment is nothing serious.

Does Rivera mean Keenum and McCoy by ‘Veterans?’

Both Case Keenum and Colt McCoy are set to become free agents once the 2019 season officially comes to an end, so the team would have to sign either of them to a new deal should they want to keep them on to compete in a potential QB competition. This doesn’t seem too crazy of a notion, as neither player is likely to garner a starting position from any franchise in the NFL, and they would likely be competing for the QB1 or QB2 role wherever they went. It’s also important to note that Rivera could be talking about Alex Smith here, as well. Though Smith is unlikely to be ready to play until at least the 2021 season if ever, this comment was left vague enough to keep him in the conversation.

What does a new OC mean for Haskins?

The ouster of Kevin O’Connell is definitely a hit to Haskins, as he will now be starting from scratch with a third OC in as many years. Haskins and O’Connell worked well together in 2019, and the two formed a bond that could be seen on the field. They grew comfortable together, and as the season progressed, O’Connell was able to scheme the offensive gameplan around his rookie QB and get him into spots where he could feel more comfortable. Now, with Scott Turner running the offense, the two will need to find a similar rhythm and gel together going forward. A change in OC isn’t a major deal — quarterbacks go through it all the time — but if you were to choose between staying with a coordinator for several years, or moving onto a new one every season, you’d obviously choose to keep things the same.

Is there any chance Rivera chooses to draft a QB with the No. 2 pick?

Rivera has seemingly been given full control over the franchise, and he could technically use that control to do whatever he wants with the team. That means selecting who he wants, when he wants, in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, where the Redskins have the No. 2 overall pick. However, this is where we have to use some common sense. Rivera is a smart man, and he knows that a big influence in the Washington franchise is what the fans want and believe. Many fans are clamoring for the Redskins to select Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick, a player who is said to be a future Hall-of-Famer and generational talent. If Rivera were to pass on Young and select another signal-caller — say Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Georgia’s Jake Fromm — many fans would be questioning the move, as they have grown to believe that Haskins actually has what it takes to be a solid NFL QB. While the answer is technically ‘yes,’ Rivera is not going to draft a new QB in the first round of 2020.

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Case Keenum isn’t approaching the end of this season with negativity

Case Keenum is taking the Redskins’ season finale as an opportunity.

Case Keenum could be plenty negative.

The Washington Redskins veteran had his breakout in Minnesota, stumbled in Denver, then arrived with his current team to take part in an odd quarterback competition for a team that quickly canned its head coach.

After losing the starting job…now he’s back to close the season after a season-ending injury to Dwayne Haskins.

He’s not letting the chance go to waste, per Les Carpenter of the Washington Post:

“I mean, that’s the name of this league; that’s how it goes every time,” Keenum said. “You’re trying to extend your career and trying to put your résumé on tape. … Every time you step on the field, that’s your résumé; it’s a video résumé. That’s what I try to do. That’s why I play hard every snap.”

That approach is why Keenum has lasted so long in the NFL as a journeyman to this point. He’s winning gigs and at least staying in the mix at multiple stays because of it.

Keenum’s time in Washington might be coming to a close already. But the rest of the roster might be wise to watch the effort level Sunday in a so-called meaningless game.

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WATCH: Dwayne Haskins ruled out for Redskins’ season finale vs. Cowboys

Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ rookie season is over after seven starts.

Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ rookie season is over after seven starts.

Interim head coach Bill Callahan announced Monday that Haskins is ruled out for the season finale versus the Cowboys due to an ankle injury the 22-year-old suffered in Sunday’s OT loss to the Giants.

Haskins limped off the field after the first offensive play of the second half then was carted to the Redskins locker room where he stayed for the remainder of the game.

The 2019 first-round draft pick told reporters postgame that team owner Dan Snyder told him not to return to the game Sunday after x-rays came back negative. The team’s PR staff and the player later clarified that the owner told the player to heed the medical advice Haskins had already been given by the team doctor.. not to return to the game.

The rookie said he lobbied to play anyway.

In nine appearances including the seven starts this year, Haskins completed 58.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,365 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

So, it will be Case Keenum at starting quarterback in Jerry World as the Redskins try to spoil Dallas’ slim playoff chances.

Keenum has also seven starts in nine appearances for Washington this season. The 31-year-old has completed 67.6 percent of pass attempts for 1,501 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions.

Bill Callahan says trust in his defense led to decision not to go for the win

Callahan decided to send the game to OT rather than play for the win because he trusted his defense to get a stop.

When the game was on the line and the Washington Redskins had a chance to escape with a 14-point comeback victory in their final outing in front of the home crowd, head coach Bill Callahan had a decision to make.

Backup QB Case Keenum had just led a 99-yard drive, punching it in for a touchdown on fourth and goal with 29-seconds left. The Redskins trailed 35-34, with a chance to kick the PAT and likely send the game into overtime, or go for the two-point conversion, and try to end it right then and there.

Callahan chose to kick the PAT, sending the game into OT, where the Giants scored a touchdown on the first possession of the extra period, ending the game.

“I thought our defense had an opportunity to make a play in the overtime,” Callahan said, via The Washington Post. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get that type of stop. I felt confident we could stop it.”

Callahan chose to send it into overtime because he felt confident his defense could get a stop. The same defense that had given up over 300 yards and four touchdowns to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones in the first four quarters; the same defense that allowed RB Saquon Barkley to amass 279 total yards from scrimmage to go along with two touchdowns. It was that defense that gave Callahan confidence in his chances to win the game in overtime, rather than taking a risk at the moment.

It ended up working out just fine for the Redskins, as their loss put them in the lead to secure the No. 2 draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Had they gone for two and converted it, a win would have likely seen them fall to the No. 4 or No. 5 pick.

Still, regardless of the result, it is confounding to hear Callahan’s reasoning behind kicking the PAT. Maybe there’s something he isn’t telling us, or maybe Keenum was injured on the 4th down TD run, and his chances to convert a 2-pt conversion were slim to none. No matter what the reasoning is, there has to be a better excuse than saying you trusted your defense — who seemed highly incapable of getting a stop all day long.

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Redskins owner Dan Snyder encouraged Dwayne Haskins not to return to game after injury

After Haskins left the game with an ankle injury, a report has surfaced that Dan Snyder encouraged him not to come back into the game.

After rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins was carted to the locker room early in the third quarter of the Washington Redskins’ game against the New York Giants on Sunday, it appears that he was encouraged not to return to the game.

Haskins, who walked back onto the field with his helmet in hand after getting his ankle checked out, was told to listen to the medical trainer’s advice and not return to the game, according to NBC Sports JP Finlay. 

“A Redskins spokesperson said that owner Dan Snyder told Dwayne Haskins to listen to the medical advice from Dr. Robin West and her advice was Haskins should not go back in,” Finlay said on Twitter.

Haskins sat out the rest of the game, and backup QB Case Keenum was able to lead the team on a 14-point comeback, sending the game to overtime where they eventually lost 41-35.

Haskins dealt with an ankle injury in weeks past but refused to let it sideline him. However, when the owner of the team tells you to rest and look towards the future, you’d probably better listen.

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