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The purpose of this season should be about finding out what they have in Dwayne Haskins. The only problem is that Haskins is set up to fail. The left side of Washington's offensive line is a mess, and he has one viable pass-catcher to throw to in Terry McLaurin. Maybe Chase Young can unlock a frisky defense, but seven wins feels like the ceiling for this group.

It's going to be a growing year for Dwayne Haskins, which means patience is needed. He also has a lot of young players around him. The front on defense should be good.

Starting QB Dwayne Haskins is appropriate decision, but seeing Alex Smith play is only feel-good story this franchise can hope for in 2020.

Is Dwayne Haskins The Guy?

John Keim: Haskins is light-years ahead of where he was at this time a year ago, thanks to the work he has been doing. But losing an offseason of on-field work has slowed his growth. He's making solid decisions in practice, though he's still plagued by overthrows at times. The new staff will measure his growth not by stats, but by his leadership and decision-making; it will tell them if they have their guy -- not only in 2020, but for years to come.

Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice are out the door, and there's suddenly a huge opportunity in the Washington backfield. Antonio Gibson seems to be the early favorite to soak up PT; the national media and fantasy heads were geeking out last week about his eye-popping output in limited touches at Memphis. Sophomore Bryce Love figures to get his shot, as well, with J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber also in the mix. To borrow a term from legendary coach Bill Parcells, Peterson was ultimately a "progress-stopper": a veteran player with limited upside who was blocking the path for prospects who needed a chance. Ron Rivera needs to see who's part of the future and who isn't.