Dwayne Haskins completes Panthers visit with no deal, for now
By Dean Jones
Dwayne Haskins has completed his visit with the Carolina Panthers.
The Carolina Panthers made a bold move to bring in free-agent quarterback Dwayne Haskins for a visit on Monday. He was released by the Washington Football Team shortly before the end of the regular season and the former first-round pick is now looking for an avenue back into the league after just two years in the pro ranks.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Haskins left his meeting with the Carolina Panthers without a deal, although the reporter did not rule out a possible agreement sometime in the future.
There are plenty of things up in the air for head coach Matt Rhule at the moment, including the possibility of losing offensive coordinator Joe Brady to a head coaching job and the imminent appointment of a new general manager to replace the recently fired Marty Hurney.
The fact an offer to join the Panthers wasn’t ruled out completely indicates that the meeting went well. Haskins knows that his next opportunity in the NFL could be his last and this is going to humble a player who once claimed “the league done messed up” when he fell out of the top-10 in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Dwayne Haskins has completed his visit with the Carolina Panthers, per source. No deal as of now but could be option for future.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 11, 2021
The Carolina Panthers have some questions at quarterback.
Carolina has some questions to answer at quarterback themselves.
Teddy Bridgewater simply hasn’t done enough to removed the seeds of doubt surrounding his ability to lead the Panthers long-term and although he is tied to the franchise until 2022, it’s clear his status in Carolina is on thin ice.
Haskins has underwhelmed during his brief career so far. There are also character concerns to consider due to a strip club incident that broke COVID-19 protocol which played a leading role in his eventual release.
However, the door hasn’t been shut entirely, which is a good sign from the player’s perspective.
It’s easy to forget that Carolina’s offseason period is still in its infancy. But with the possibility of a completely different offensive mindset next season with Brady reportedly drawing strong interest from the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers might need a different option under center to go with it.
Rhule clearly wanted to get the lay of the land where Haskins is concerned. He is young enough to get another chance in the pursuit of salvaging what could have been a promising career, but teams are only tolerant of indifferent behavior off the field if individuals are performing on it.
Haskins simply hasn’t done that so far. But whether he’ll get the chance to come in and compete at Carolina’s training camp this summer is still very much up in the air.