Jay Gruden is one week removed from being fired by the Redskins. A 0-5 start to the season along with the perceived mishandling of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins were at the forefront when owner Dan Snyder and team president Bruce Allen decided to removed Gruden.
Speaking to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Gruden admitted not everyone was onboard with drafting Haskins in the first round, because the former Ohio State QB wasn’t ready to play right away.
“Whether everybody was on the same page or not, the decision was made to take Haskins,” Gruden said. “He’s a great prospect, just wasn’t quite ready Weeks 1 through 5 Now, I don’t know if he’ll be ready next or the week after. But while I was there, he wasn’t quite ready.”
The Redskins also traded for Case Keenum and had veteran Colt McCoy on the roster, recovering from his broken leg. Both considered by many to be stopgap solutions, leading to critics not understanding why Haskins was drafted so high to play behind them in a rebuilding season.
Washington ultimately chose Haskins with the 15th overall pick. Gruden previously admitted the team considered drafting edge rusher Montez Sweat with that pick. Instead, the team traded a pair of second-round picks to jump back into the first round at No. 26 to select Sweat.
Haskins’ only action was in relief of Keenum in Week 4’s loss to the New York Giants. Haskins threw three interceptions, including a pick-six as the Redskins fell 24-3. His struggles laminated the fact Gruden and other coaches felt Haskins was not ready to start early into the season.
“Had we had Alex Smith and drafted Dwayne Haskins, I think life would’ve been a lot easier,” Gruden reflected.
Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury that has required multiple surgeries and put his playing career in jeopardy. He is expected to miss all of the 2019 season at the very least.
After Gruden’s firing, interim head coach Bill Callahan also said Haskins wasn’t quite up to speed, but his development was a top priority moving forward. He has since been named the backup quarterback to Keenum, as he was with Gruden, but now ahead of a healthy McCoy.
Gruden also appeared on ESPN’s “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.”
He again hinted that not everyone wanted to select Haskins.
“There were some other quarterbacks that some people in the building liked later on in the draft, but we chose Dwayne and tried to make the most of it. He’s still got a chance to be a great player without a doubt, it’s just gonna take some time.”
The Redskins are 1-5 on the season, as the losses pile up, the chances will increase of Haskins eventually getting to start.
