Re: Burner's Burning Questions: Free Agency, Mocks, Camps, OTAs, Roster Predictions,
Haskins to me looks fine for a rookie feeling his way in an NFL offense.
If Dwayne is forced into early action Gruden is going to have to come off his high horse, shorten the playbook and give Haskins a diet of the plays he can convert as he learns and grows.
This is something that Gibbs did with Schroeder and Rypien. Parcells did it with Jeff Hostetler.
You can win with an abridged playbook if you can execute.
Crisp execution has been a rare commodity under Gruden in any phase of the game since he became head coach.
I haven't gotten a sense from any of his remarks that Gruden is pining to start Haskins. If that is the plan, Gruden should get some props for a pretty effective smokescreen. He has certainly given Haskins praise for his arm and ability to make some elite level throws. But he's also been very open about Haskins continued need to improve his knowledge of the playbook, working from under center, getting in and out of the huddle in a timely fashion, etc...
I am not convinced starting Haskins is going to 'ruin him'. Coaches have been starting high draft pick rookie QBs for decades. The ones who are real franchise QBs learn from whatever early struggles they have and rise to the top. The ones that don't, it's hard to imagine that they would've been future all stars if ONLY they had ridden the bench for a couple of years.
I'm not nearly as certain as a lot of folks are that you can learn to be an NFL QB from the bench. I just don't see it being a persuasive argument, especially since, when you are relegated to a backup or 3rd string spot, you are going to get almost zero snaps in practice. I believe, had Patrick Mahommes started as a rookie, he'd still have lit up the league - he's simply that talented.
In short, for me the 'sit and learn' mentality that is characterized as the 'only smart way' to develop a QB is highly overblown.
That being said, I think Gruden goes with Keenum out of the gate. I am not that convinced he 'gives us the best chance to win'. Whatever experience advantage he has over Haskins (and he inarguably has that) is balanced by the significant arm talent edge the youngster has over him. I think it's more or less a wash, because I believe we're going to pound the rock again and rely on ball control and an improved defense, not Air Coryell, in 2019.
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