Tim Benz: Dwayne Haskins to Steelers? Theory adds up. Stats, actions from Washington do not.

I feel bad for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.

During a week where he has to relive every image of Myles Garrett clonking him on the head with his own helmet, the NFL rumor mill is kicking him in the crotch.

OK, maybe not that directly. No one is writing that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to trade Rudolph. But multiple outlets are suggesting the Steelers would be wise to acquire demoted Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

So consider it more of a backhanded slap across Rudolph’s face.

Sportsline.com places the Steelers as the favorite to land Haskins at +300 if he is traded. The Indianapolis Colts are next at +500, and the Chicago Bears are after them at +700.

ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell came up with a list of potential NFL trade ideas for fans to consider between now and the deadline on Nov. 3.

One of them was the Steelers acquiring Haskins from Washington in exchange for third-year cornerback Justin Layne and a fourth-round draft choice.

Barnwell’s theory is Haskins has disappointed so much, so quickly in Washington that he is on the outs already after being the 15th overall pick a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are only tied to backup Rudolph through 2021. Fellow Steelers quarterbacks Josh Dobbs and Devlin Hodges are just under contract through the rest of this year. Also, he says Layne is “at the bottom of a deep cornerback room in Pittsburgh and hasn’t played a single defensive snap as a pro.”

Well, that room will be a lot less crowded next year if Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton both leave via free agency. And Joe Haden will be 32 in 2021.

If the Steelers really like Haskins, that’s all of little consequence. So is his salary cap hit. Even given the Steelers’ tight constraints. It would be whatever remains of his $1.15 million this year. Then a $1.8 million total next year and $2.46 million in 2022.

If the Steelers organization is of the opinion that Haskins is a first-round talent that was simply dropped into a no-win situation in Washington, then replacing Layne and losing a fourth-round pick is nothing if you think you are getting an upgrade over Rudolph, Dobbs and “Duck.”

And especially if you think you are getting a player who could incubate for an additional year longer than Rudolph and then is a more legitimate replacement for Ben Roethlisberger after his contract expires after 2021.

But that would be entirely based on projections from pre-draft scouting, plus assumptions that everything that went wrong in Washington was the rest of the franchise’s fault and that coming to Pittsburgh can fix everything.

Keep in mind, for as rough of a go as Rudolph had last year, he’s only played in 10 games and Haskins has played in 13. And Rudolph’s stats are slightly better in most areas.

Rudolph has thrown for 1,765 yards. His completion percentage is 62.2. His touchdown to interception ratio is 13:9. He’s been sacked 15 times, and his rating his 82.

Haskins has thrown for 2,304 yards. His completion percentage is 59.6. His touchdown to interception ratio is 11:10. He’s been sacked 42 times, and his rating is 77.8.

So assuming that Haskins would be an automatic upgrade based on a draft resume is a far cry from being true.

And if Roethlisberger gets hurt this year, especially before December, I bet Rudolph still gets the first crack at replacing him because of familiarity with the offense.

An acquisition of Haskins would be much more of a move for 2021.

For that, why give away one cornerback and another draft choice in a year when you might need to replace two cornerbacks as well an outside linebacker? Not to mention perhaps an offensive tackle, a running back and a wide receiver.

And you have very little cap space.

Seems like a lot of effort for potentially a lateral move to me. I wouldn’t bother.

Ron Rivera — the same Washington head coach who just benched Haskins — compared Haskins’ style and frame to Roethlisberger as recently as January.

Redskins Head Coach Ron Rivera on Dwayne Haskins this morning and a little surprise at the end. #redskins #httr. Oh! pic.twitter.com/9PXIUmtxyY

— Chick Hernandez (@MrChickSports) January 31, 2020

Nine months later, he benched the guy. If he thought he was coaching the next “Big Ben,” Rivera wouldn’t have done that. Obviously, he has seen something in film study, in practices, or away from the field that doesn’t allow him to buy into that comp anymore.

And it’s not like Haskins was benched for “the next big thing” in D.C. Rivera’s options are a surgically reconstructed Alex Smith and Kyle Allen.

If the Steelers think they can get their quarterback of the future for a backup defensive back and a fourth-round draft choice, they should do it.

Bold statement, right?

Even if they think that they are upgrading at the backup quarterback position and potentially putting themselves in a better spot to bridge between Roethlisberger and whoever the next franchise quarterback is, then Barnwell’s plan is not too steep of a price.

But if general manager Kevin Colbert has an offer on the table to simply get a second version of Mason Rudolph for one extra year, then there really isn’t a point.