Getty Free agent WR Antonio Brown.
The Redskins remain in need of a true No. 1 wide receiver and with Dwayne Haskins recently working out with Antonio Brown, there’s been some speculation that the All-Pro could sign in Washington.
Coach Ron Rivera was asked about the possibility and said that the club wanted to see what they had in their “young guys first.”
“For us to bring a veteran guy in a couple of positions, we have to see what we have in terms of our young guys first,” Rivera said (via PFT). “I made the comment about our left tackle position. We have a group of young guys that we have to find out whether or not they have the ability to be football players. If you bring in a veteran right now, you are going to stunt the growth of someone young. . . .
Rivera Praises Antonio Brown
“I know who Antonio Brown is. I know he is a great player and an impact guy. He is also a veteran guy and we have some guys that we have to find out about. That is the approach. We want to see what we have. If we were able to go through OTAs and minicamp, we would’ve been able to judge that and say, ‘Hey, we need to get a guy at this position or we need a guy at that position.’ These guys aren’t really coming along how we want them to, let’s pull the trigger and bring a guy into our organization.”
Rivera added that it’s hard to get a pulse on what the franchise has without seeing players up close.
“That is the hard part about not being able to see our guys. As I said, I went through it when I was first in Carolina, not knowing what we had and coming out of the lockout. We had to go sign players,” Rivera added. “We signed them without me knowing who they were. That really does make a difference. You want to know who your guys are and who they want to be. It will help you going forward because these are the guys that you put your energy towards as you progress as a football team.”
Redskins’ Offensive Outlook
Washington’s offense was lacking in 2019. Only the Steelers and Jets had a worse offensive DVOA than the Redskins; No quarterback had a worse DVOA than Haskins.
That’s just one of the advanced metrics that go against the 2015 No. 15 overall pick. There’s a reason why there was widespread speculation that the club was considering moving on from him this past offseason. Should we expect better results in 2020? Depends on how optimistic you are feeling.
Washington brought in several playmakers in the draft. WR Antonio Gandy-Golden is a raw 6-foot-4 athlete who may take a few years to see his potential. RB/WR Antonio Gibson out of Memphis may be able to make in impact sooner, though Rivera will have to get creative with him, as their backfield is quite crowded. Thaddeus Moss had the talent to be selected on Day 2 but a foot injury forced him to go undrafted.
Haskins’ best weapon will again be Terry McLaurin, last year’s third-round pick who showed flashes as a rookie. McLaurin’s DYAR (Defense-Adjusted Yards Above Replacement) ranked 13th in the league among 81 players who had 50 targets, better than tested studs such as Keenan Allen and Davante Adams.
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Redskins’ Ron Rivera: I Know Who Antonio Brown Is