Dwayne Haskins needs one thing to take the next step as an NFL quarterback, Redskins safety Landon Collins says: someone to believe in him.
Collins was asked a litany of questions about Haskins during a Monday appearance on ESPN's "First Take." One of those questions was centered on what Haskins needs, for himself and from head coach Ron Rivera, to take the next step.
"Haskins is a coachable guy," Collins said. "He just needs somebody that's willing and there for him and able to coach him. That's what I would say. Give him an opportunity just to be on the field, put him in the right positions to get him to read the right defensive coverages, to make the right throws and get us some points and get us some Ws."
"We live off of what our quarterback does for our team and that's what he needs," he said. "He needs a great coach that has faith and belief in him."
That would look like precisely the opposite of when Jay Gruden threw Haskins to the wolves in the Redskins' Week 4 loss to the Giants. Haskins' debut came on the road, in New York, with little notice and even less preparation time in the week leading up to it.
Gruden was fired a week later. The Redskins wouldn't go back to Haskins for another four weeks, in Minnesota.
Collins signed a six-year deal with the Redskins last offseason under the previous coaching regime. Asked how he balances wanting to win now with being patient with a young quarterback, he said, "I'm not patient at all with it. I'm on my quarterback's tail like any given second. I'm telling him, 'You in the books? You studying? What you reading?'
"There's no like being patient about it, because like you said, I'm in my prime. I'm in a time where I want to win, I want to win now."
Collins was asked if Haskins is ready now, or if he needs a veteran quarterback backing him up to buy some time.
"I think he's ready, honestly," said Collins. "I see his skill sets. I see him out there on the field. I'm not out there with him, but literally I'm in Virginia with him. We go to the film study room. He's working on his craft. He's studying. He's up in there with the coaches sometimes, making sure he's on top of his game, playing the playbook and stuff like that.
"So when it does come time and he's ready to be put on the field, it's second to none."
The Redskins hold the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. An Alabama alum, Collins was asked what he thinks about the prospect of the Redskins potentially using that pick to select Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and if that would benefit the team.
"I love Tua and I love Alabama guys," Collins said. "(He) definitely would be a great, great asset to our team. But like I said, we drafted a first-round draft pick quarterback last year. I think Tua would be a great asset to our team, but we already have one."
"I think we should keep the guy we have now, put our eggs in that basket," he said, "because when he's prepared and when he knows what he has to do on the field, he's gun-slinging it, he's pushing the ball down field, he's making plays. From that standpoint, that's how I see it."
Lastly, Collins was asked what expectations he has for Rivera. His response surely won't disappoint.
"I would say our expectations really as a team and as a whole is just greatness, honestly," he said. "I heard great things about him. I watched him. I was almost drafted by him when I was coming out, so I've loved the guy ever since I met him. I expect no more than greatness from him."
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