NFL teams are reportedly expressing interest in quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who officially became a free agent on Tuesday after a fire in Washington.
The choice of the first round of 2019 was not claimed on resignations after his release on Monday, which marked the end of a tumultuous management plagued by a bad game, a reported lack of preparation and violations of the COVID-19 protocol.
But now that Haskins has released the exemptions, teams will have the option of hiring the 23-year-old for less than the $ 4.3 million he owes Washington over the next two seasons, and that sparked interest, according to ESPN.
While it is unclear which teams are intrigued by Haskins, there are several potential landing points.
Patriots, who have a history of taking on recovery projects, may be an option. New England’s future as a defender appears to be at stake after Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham struggled to take over from Tom Brady this season.
Brady’s new team, the Buccaneers, can also bring Haskins and develop it for a year or two in the future Hall of Fame – which will turn 44 at the beginning of next season.
A similar situation can happen in Pittsburgh, where Ben Roethlisberger’s career, like Brady’s, is winding down.
Any change of scenery would probably do Haskins good.
He was chosen by a Washington franchise that, according to reports, was divided internally to see if he selected him as the 15th overall choice in 2019, and then played under two technical teams over two seasons.
In 16 games in total, he launched for 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and there was no shortage of off-field issues.
During his debut season, he took a selfie with a fan during the final play of his first win.
In October, the former Ohio State star, who scored 50 touchdowns in the only season he started for the Buckeyes, was fined $ 5,000 for inviting a friend to the team’s hotel in October, in violation of the COVID-19 protocol. team’s.
The last straw occurred last week, when he was fined $ 40,000 and stripped of his captaincy after a party with strippers without a mask and paid for Sunday on newspaperman Taylor Heinicke after throwing two interceptions in a defeat.
“I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of an NFL QB,” wrote Haskins on Twitter after his release, and “I will become a better man and player because of that experience.”