Jan 22, 2021 5 min read

The Steelers caused something of an uproar locally when they announced the signing of former Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins to a futures contract.

Never before has a player signed to a minimum deal that doesn’t guarantee a roster spot – or any signing bonus – caused so much teeth gnashing.

Haskins, the 15th pick in the 2019 draft, was released by Washington last month after wearing out his welcome with the new coaching staff. He was reportedly late to meetings, didn’t take his job all that seriously and caused a number of other problems that will get you into trouble.

Now, what we do know is that Haskins was fined for breaking NFL COVID-19 protocol when he was seen in a gentlemen’s club without a mask, entertaining the workers – or is that the other way around.

The rest of it? Hearsay and rumors put out by a coaching staff that didn’t draft Haskins and didn’t want him. That doesn’t mean it’s not true. But it also doesn’t mean it is.

What we do know is that Haskins was talented enough to be highly ranked going into the 2019 draft. ESPN had him as the 15th-best prospect. NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked 22nd.

You get the idea.

He’s a talented guy. He threw for 4,800 yards and 50 touchdowns with eight interceptions in his one season as a starter at Ohio State.

But there are obvious drawbacks. He isn’t the most mobile quarterback – though he has run 40 times for 147 yards in 16 career NFL games.

And where there is smoke, there is fire with some of his work habits.

But he’s also 23. And Washington perhaps made the mistake of putting him back in his hometown with a big wad of money.

He won’t have those distractions in Pittsburgh. In fact, if he shows to be distracted or not all-in on being an NFL quarterback with the Steelers, they can simply cut him. And it won’t cost them a dime.

The Steelers don’t have a quarterback under contract past the 2021 season. Josh Dobbs, this year’s No. 3 quarterback, is an unrestricted free agent. And they declined to sign Devlin Hodges to a futures contract earlier this week.

So, they’re kicking the tires on one who was a former first-round pick. At no real risk.

That’s smart management.

After all, Haskins is certainly more talented than Dobbs or Hodges. If he turns into more than the team’s No. 3, all the better.

• Kudos to W&J head coach Mike Siriani’s brother, Nick, in getting the head coaching job with the Eagles this week.

I’ve never heard anything but praise in NFL circles regarding the former Colts offensive coordinator, who started his NFL career as an offensive assistant under former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley in 2009 with the Chiefs after previously serving as an assistant coach at Mt. Union and IUP.

• If you had asked me last season after watching his first two college games against Florida State and Nicholls State – when he went a combined 3 for 15 from the floor – about Justin Champagnie, I would have said he was overmatched.

Champagnie, however, has clearly worked hard on his game and the former three-star recruit should be in the running for ACC Player of the Year.

He leads the ACC in scoring at 20.3 points per game and rebounding at 13 per game. Now, he missed a few weeks thanks to a knee injury, but his 31-point, 14-rebound effort with five blocked shots against Duke earlier this week was the best game by a Pitt player in years.

Champagnie is clearly point and case for those who talk about rebounding being all about desire and instincts. The 6-6, 200-pound forward not only leads the ACC in rebounding, he’s second in the nation in that key stat.

This week’s picks

Packers (minus 3) over Buccaneers: A team has never before played in the Super Bowl in its home stadium. And I just can’t see the Bucs, who will have had to win three games on the road to get to a Super Bowl in their home stadium, doing it. Not that they’re aren’t good, but Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to turn the ball over like the Saints did last week. Weather also will be a factor, and Tom Brady just doesn’t perform as well in the elements at his advanced age. Take the Packers, 27-23

Bills (plus 3) over Chiefs: Call it a hunch or call it a system play, but quarterbacks coming back off of concussions often make mistakes. And while Patrick Mahomes is expected to play in this game, he is coming off a concussion. The Chiefs beat the Bills earlier this season, 26-17, by running the ball for 245 yards. But Buffalo’s defense is playing better than it did then, holding the Ravens without a touchdown last week. Take the Bills, 30-27

Last Week: 0-4 (ouch!) ATS; Overall: 44-42-6

Dale Lolley covers the Steelers for DKPittsburghSports.com and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.