The NFL season is fast approaching! With that in mind, it’s the ideal time to look at which players on all 32 teams are the most prominent faces of their franchise. These are the players who are integral to the success of their teams. Their production on the field and leadership in the locker room are vital to their franchises. They are three core pieces that their franchise will build around for the foreseeable future. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Washington Football Team. With the name change put on hold and the season fast approaching, it’s time to focus on football. Washington is entering a rebuilding year under a new regime led by head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Expectations are low, so the most important aspect of the 2020 season is the continued growth of these three young players.
2020 Washington Football Team: Three Faces of the Franchise
Dwayne Haskins Jr.
As is always the case, the quarterback is the most important player on the team. It’s especially significant for a rebuilding team like Washington. The front office showed confidence in moving forward with Dwayne Haskins Jr. as their franchise quarterback. In his debut season, Haskins completed 119 of 203 of his passes (58.6 percent) for 1,365 yards (6.7 yards per attempt) with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games. Although Haskins struggled at times as a rookie, he finished off his season on a positive note, completing 47 of 70 of his passes (67.1 percent) for 564 yards (8.1 yards per attempt) with five touchdowns and one interception in his last three games. This bodes well for his sophomore season.
Reports indicate that Haskins has really put in work this off-season. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick offered a glowing report on the former Ohio State QB on NFL Live, stating that Haskins “looks absolutely fantastic” after shedding weight, poised for an “absolutely monster year.” Riddick has a strong track record, particularly with predicting growth from second-year quarterbacks. Back in 2017, Riddick predicted that Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff would win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Goff ended up having a breakout season, throwing for 28 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. With Haskins, there are clear signs of similar growth.
Haskins has the benefit of working in a new scheme under a young and promising offensive coordinator in Scott Turner, son of long-time play-caller and former Washington head coach Norv Turner. Under Turner, expect Washington to play at a faster pace – last season, Turner’s Carolina Panthers ran 1019 plays, while Washington ran only 835. This is good news for Haskins’ potential production on the field. Simply put, Washington needs to see some growth from their second-year quarterback. Haskins needs to build on the strong finish he showed as a rookie and entrench himself as the Washington Football Team’s franchise quarterback.
Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin, who played with Haskins at Ohio State, surprised many observers as a rookie, totaling 58 receptions for 919 yards and seven touchdowns on 93 targets in 14 games. That’s elite-level production for a rookie receiver. McLaurin was explosive with crisp route-running, allowing him to consistently create separation from opposing defensive backs. He also demonstrated great hands with the ability to make contested catches, go downfield and generate yards after the catch. The rookie was able to accomplish this despite being the only viable threat on offense, catching passes from Case Keenum and a struggling Haskins. McLaurin is going to get even better as a sophomore.
Many respected league observers really believe that McLaurin is a future number-one receiver. Even as a rookie, Pro Football Focus graded McLaurin as the best receiver in the NFC East, ranking him ahead of star Dallas Cowboys‘ receiver Amari Cooper. McLaurin will benefit from the uptempo offense that Turner will install in DC. We can also expect him to improve on his numbers given Haskins’ expected growth as a passer. McLaurin remains the alpha dog, target hog in this offense that features inexperienced receivers like sophomore Steven Sims Jr. and rookie Antonio Gandy-Golden lining up in the slot and on the perimeter. Entering his age-25 season, McLaurin is already a leader on this team.
The most prudent way to build an offense in the modern-day game is to pair a franchise quarterback with a number-one wide receiver. McLaurin has an opportunity to build that rapport with his college teammate Haskins. Washington needs McLaurin to continue to develop because their wide receivers group is easily the worst in the league outside of the one they call “Scary Terry.” McLaurin has already proven to be capable of sustaining production despite being the focal point of the offense. The sky is the limit for him in his sophomore season.
Chase Young
Rookie defensive end Chase Young is already one of the faces of the franchise in DC despite not even playing a game yet. This speaks volumes about the abilities of the second overall pick in this year’s draft. The former Buckeye has been described as a generational pass-rusher with franchise-altering upside. Young boasts a quick first-step with a diverse arsenal of pass-rushing moves in his toolbox along with ideal size and run-stuffing ability. He completes the trio of Buckeyes whose development will really influence the future of this Washington franchise.
We all know the impact of a franchise pass-rusher. Just look at what Nick Bosa, the second-overall pick in the 2019 draft, did for the San Francisco 49ers. He helped transform their defense into a dominant unit en route to a Super Bowl appearance. Young joins a stacked group of pass-rushers that includes Ryan Kerrigan, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and Daron Payne. That’s a unit that includes an absurd five former first-rounders. Young will be under the tutelage of talented and proven defensive minds like Rivera and Del Rio, which will put the former Buckeye in a position to thrive as a rookie.
If Young can develop into a pass-rusher in the mold of Khalil Mack, Washington will have a feared defense that will really take the pressure of their young offense. Young profiled as a safe prospect with high upside, so even if he does not develop into a franchise pass-rusher, he should still take on a leadership role as one of the best players on this defense. But with such a stacked supporting cast combined with a great coaching staff, I’m betting on the former. Expect Young to establish himself as a premier pass-rusher in his debut season with the Washington Football Team.
