5 reasons why the Steelers are winners in signing Haskins

Risk/Reward

All of the above scenarios assume just about the worst out of Haskins. While it would be wise to temper expectations, the potential payoff of this deal is almost too good to be true. Maybe Haskins can mature enough to do the right thing off the field and properly learn the playbook. Maybe he can finally live up to the hype he had coming out of college that made him the first-round pick that he was.

While he has his share of issues, don’t forget that Haskins has all of the physical tools to succeed. On the field, he has a cannon for an arm and has shown accuracy on some of his passes. The biggest issue is his poor decision making and lack of mobility. That said, the decision making can improve with good coaching and the lack of mobility isn’t the end of the world as a pro quarterback. As for the risk, there isn’t anything.

Assuming his contract is for the minimum (it would be shocking otherwise), the team will have next to nothing invested in him. He could be cut tomorrow, and the team wouldn’t suffer any cap penalties or the pain of having given up a draft pick for him. He doesn’t need to be the franchise quarterback after Roethlisberger for this deal to work out. If he suits up for a game next year, the Steelers are winners, and even if he is cut, the team loses nothing.

While the likelihood of Haskins becoming a franchise quarterback isn’t likely, the Steelers are easy winners of this deal. Haskins has no risk given the contract he is on, and if he shows anything as a player, the team has him under control for at least two years. The team made a good move signing Haskins, even if he doesn’t amount to much in the black and gold.