Here are the reasons that the Steelers won by signing Haskins
While it may sound silly considering the fact that Dwayne Haskins has been a sitting free agent for the past few weeks, the Steelers are easily big winners by signing him. The former first-round pick flamed out in just about a season and a half of play in Washington D.C., but he is a former top-15 overall pick who has an absolute cannon for an arm. His mediocre play and off the field concerns do make him a risky player, but the team clearly came out on top of this deal. Here are the five reasons that the Steelers are winners for signing Haskins.
Ben Roethlisberger
While the early inclinations are that Ben Roethlisberger will suit up for another season next year, there is still plenty of reason to doubt his return. For starters, until he officially announces he isn’t retiring, there is little to guarantee what he does this offseason. Speculation today is that he will play in 2021, but he could easily come out tomorrow and announce his retirement. Even if Roethlisberger plans to play, the Steelers could have different opinions.
As has been well documented, Roethlisberger will have a cap hit of over 41 million dollars next year if he is on the roster. The Steelers could save roughly 19 million if he is cut or could save a varying amount of money if they try to extend him. He may want to play, but the team may not want him back at that price. There is a very real chance Roethlisberger isn’t with the team in 2021, so having another body at the position is a plus.
Cost
While many wouldn’t expect it, backup quarterbacks can earn quite the pretty penny in the NFL. Last year, Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum, and Chase Daniel all earned salaries averaging between 4.35-8.8 million a season for the sole purpose of being backups. Even the lower end guys can see 1.5-2.5 million per season. For a team that will be as cap-strapped as the Steelers, it would have been nearly impossible to bring in a veteran at the position due to the cost.
Haskins has more than likely alleviated that issue. While the financials of his contract aren’t finalized yet, it would be surprising if he was making more than the minimum salary in 2021. That equates to a cap hit of 850 thousand, a steal for a backup quarterback. Haskins cheap contract is a huge selling point in him being added to the team. Better yet, if he does stick on the roster, the Steelers should have control over him at a reasonable price for the next two seasons. Next year, he should still be a RFA, meaning the team will have control over the contract situation with him
That means that if he shows some progress, the team can keep him on the roster at a reasonable rate for the next two seasons. For a team that will be looking for a new franchise quarterback, having Haskins under control for a few seasons reasonably is great. Even if he doesn’t become the franchise quarterback for the Steelers, he could easily be a backup or a transitional option for the team.
Organization
Another huge aid for Haskins is the organization that he is transitioning to. Washington isn’t known to be the best or most competent front office in football, and the majority of the coaching staff reportedly weren’t fans of the team drafting him as early as they did. He wasn’t set up for success either as he played in a mediocre offense for a coaching staff that wasn’t a fan of him.
This doesn’t mean Haskins is innocent by any means. He reportedly had a bad attitude while on the team and had little interest in learning the playbook. Throw in his off the field shenanigans he was caught up with this season and the decision to cut him seemed like an easy one. He needs to mature quite a bit if he hopes to be a Steelers for more than a few weeks.
That said, the Steelers locker room is one that supports its fellow players and has a good level of consistency from the owners down to the coaches. While the team has its flaws, the character of the players tends to be high, and those that go against that mantra are shown the door. Haskins will be in a sink or swim situation. If he matures and shows a willingness to learn, he should find some level of success with the team. If he doesn’t, he could be out the door as quickly as he came.
Quarterback room
No matter what Roethlisberger does this offseason, the Steelers will still have a pretty bad situation at quarterback both in the short and long-term. Assuming Roethlisberger is off the roster, having another player with NFL experience will be critical in maintaining a high level of competition from the group as well as potentially trying to find a starter for the 2021 season.
While many fans are clamoring for a quarterback in the first round of the draft, there are reasons the team shouldn’t go that route than should. This doesn’t mean the team is set up for success at quarterback and can ignore the position for the long term. That isn’t the case, but the history shows that quarterbacks drafted after pick 24 have had little success in the NFL. The team will likely role with the players they have next season.
This means, again, assuming Roethlisberger is gone, that the team can start Mason Rudolph or allow Haskins a chance to see the field again. While Rudolph looked good in his lone start this season, Haskins undoubtedly has more upside as a potential long-term answer. Even if both flame out, a very likely scenario, it won’t hurt the team for having tried Haskins despite his early struggles.
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.