Dwayne Haskins’ relationship with the Steelers could be just what both parties need

There are numerous ways to try and make the statement, but in the end they all mean the same thing. Statements like "Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut." We all have experienced situations where these statements have merit. Like when your female coworker; who knows next to nothing about college basketball but decides to take part in the company NCAA Tournament betting pool by making her selections based on the team's nicknames and team colors, is perfect through the first two rounds and ends up winning the whole pot against twenty or so other employees who actually watch the games and felt pretty confident putting their $20 in the pile.

That is a true story, as improbable and irrational as it seems. When she came in to collect her winnings in front of her flabbergasted coworkers, she was all smiles when she sheepishly stated, "Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good." There was a lot of truth in that statement, considering she hit on some huge upsets that less than 5% of the betting population picked correctly because she thought one teams uniforms were prettier than the other. No clue what she was doing, but winning was all that mattered in the end.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed their share of good fortune over the years, situations where they may have been more lucky than good. I am not saying that they didn't do their due diligence in each situation, only that many of these reclamation projects that they picked up off the trash heap went on to excel far more than even they could have expected. Players like Fast Willie Parker, Mike Hilton, and James Harrison immediately come to mind. The Steelers may have found another in former first round selection QB Dwayne Haskins.

A couple of off seasons ago, I wrote a similar article when the Steelers took a flyer on former first round QB Paxton Lynch. I surmised that a change of scenery might have been just what Lynch needed to resurrect his career and finally tap into his exceptional size and athletic abilities for the position. Regrettably, all that potential never came to fruition. Reports began to surface that Lynch struggled to grasp the playbook, and didn't seem to possess the desire or work ethic to improve this glaring shortcoming.

I am old school to the core, and adhere to Chuck Noll's famous statement "If I have to give an inspiration speech to motivate you to care, then I will cut you." As in release the individual, not attack them with a sharp utensil utilized for slicing and dicing. Also, that statement was not verbatim; as I elaborated a little, but I feel certain you get the gist. My old school views made me question the sanity of bringing in Haskins for a look, until the complete details of his contract finally were revealed.

Once it was revealed that Haskins was unbelievably signed to a futures contract, the signing made complete sense. It would have been illogical actually to not sign the former Ohio State signal caller who just so happens to be blessed with extraordinary arm talent. Virtually zero risk for a possibly huge reward. How big a reward you ask? The same type of reward I mentioned with Lynch in the aforementioned article. A Jim Plunkett with the Raiders type of impact, which resulted in a couple of Lombardi Trophies actually.

The possible impact of getting a first round draft pick with the potential to be a franchise QB for pennies on the dollar should not be underestimated for the Steelers, particularly with the Steelers present roster and the impact it would make to their salary cap situation. Similar to when the Steelers added a young and talented QB named Ben Roethlisberger to a already stacked roster that was simply in desperate need of a franchise QB.

All early reports suggest that Haskins is fitting in well and seems to be enjoying the Steelers culture. Mike Tomlin could be the perfect type of players coach and father figure so to speak capable of being a positive influence for a young man in desperate need of some maturity. Ben Roethlisberger, at this stage of his career and personal life, could be someone to look up to and try to emulate. Both men are living breathing examples of the Steelers way. That gives me hope for a supremely talented young QB whose biggest issues are maturity and accountability.

The situation in Washington still concerns me if I am being honest, because HC Ron Rivera is an outstanding individual who happens to be well respected around the league, and QB Alex Smith is a warrior who just so happened to win the Comeback Player of the Year award last season. If those guys couldn't influence Haskins enough to make an impact, his issues could go much deeper than anybody realizes.

In the end, Haskins is responsible for his own maturity and performance on the field. Nobody else can be responsible for his effort given or personal motivation. Maybe Dwayne Haskins needs to keep the aforementioned Chuck Noll quote in mind moving forward in his fragile but still potentially promising career.