In surprising, yet unsurprising news, the Washington Football Team released their 2019 first-round pick, Dwayne Haskins, following poor play and a handful of other issues. The nail in the coffin was hammered down last Sunday when he was unmasked and photographed with a bunch of strippers following their Week 15 victory.
Although Ron Rivera gave him a chance to start in Week 16 with Alex Smith (calf) out, he responded by throwing for a pathetic 154 yards, hucking two interceptions, and fumbling the ball before being benched for XFL legend Taylor Heinicke.
Not only was Haskins dreadful on the field for the majority of his “career,” but his lack of leadership and maturity ended his time in Washington after less than two seasons.
As an Ohio State fan… does this shock me? No. His Buckeye teammates didn’t name him a team captain in his lone season as a starter (when they name about 10 each year) and Urban Meyer never appeared to be a huge fan. Furthermore, his dad was a complete weirdo prior to the draft and it seems like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Does this mean I think Haskins’ NFL career is over? No. I still think he’s talented and anyone who’s ever watched college football knows he wasn’t a product of Ohio State’s system. I think he was drafted into a horrid situation as a rookie and then he could never win Rivera over.
He’s officially hit rock bottom from an NFL standpoint, meaning he’ll be (likely) given a minimum contract and will have to work his ass off to ever achieve anything in the league again. Thus, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s backing up a top quarterback to mature and learn the game from a different perspective in 2021. People forget he only played one season at Ohio State and has yet to complete a full year as a starter in the NFL.
Anyway, back to fantasy football.
The Washington Football Team is in a must-win Week 17 against the Eagles and as of now, it looks like Smith will start against the Eagles. If he can’t go, then Heinicke will start in his place. On Wednesday, Rivera expressed optimism in Smith returning, but Smith’s calf has yet to be tested. No matter what, the offense will be in a better fantasy spot with anyone not named ‘Haskins’ under center.
Assuming Smith plays, JD McKissic could be in line to get showered again by the checkdown king, although Antonio Gibson looked healthy and spry before Haskins put his team in a significant deficit.
Logan Thomas will also get a bump with Smith in the lineup, as he was one of the veteran’s top targets when he was under center. We’ll also have to keep checking the injury report on Terry McLaurin, who has an ankle sprain.
Either way, the WFT will be moving on without their former first-rounder and the team will need their offense to step up in what could be a shootout against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.
