Rob Ryan spent the 2019 season as the Washington Redskins inside linebackers coach. Despite his focus being on the defense, Ryan got to see a close-up view of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
Appearing on Colin Cowherd’s “The Herd,” Ryan had mixed reviews about Haskins’ readiness for the NFL when asked if the Redskins were sold on Haskins as their franchise quarterback.
“He’s a good kid. He’s got a big arm, a lot of talent, but definitely not ready for the rigors of the NFL.”
For full context, Ryan did add that Haskins impressed him on how he got better as the season went on in comparison to his first outing in Week 4 against the New York Giants. He also stated that Haskins was trying to get ready, but he is “not even close” to being ready for the league.
“He got a lot better from when he was thrown into games. I remember in New York, it was awful,” Ryan said. “He wasn’t ready. We threw him in the game and it wasn’t fair to the kid. He just wasn’t ready. So at least each week I saw him trying to get better. I saw him trying to meet with (former QB coach) Tim Rattay, who’s a real fine coach now at Oklahoma State. He was trying to get better.”
Ryan’s strong assessment echoes the narrative essentially used by former Redskins head coach Jay Gruden. It also echoes what others within the organization has hinted towards, including newly-hired head coach Ron Rivera.
When asked about drafting Tua Tagovailoa, Ryan threw Alex Smith in the conversation much like Rivera did recently.
“You know, can Alex Smith come back?” Ryan asked. “I know that was a gruesome injury and everybody forgets about him, but you know how Alex Smith works. I mean you know that guy’s gonna want to play again. So if he comes back, now that’ll be interesting to see.”
Ryan also added that if he was in the Redskins’ war room, he would be asking for Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young, who he called a “generational talent” which is not surprising considering he is a defensive coach.
