Rookie Dwayne Haskins listed third string for Washington Redskins' first preseason game

With all due respect to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen dueling it out in Miami Dolphins training camp, the most interesting quarterback battle in the NFL right now is with the Washington Redskins. The team was giddy that Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins slipped to it at No. 15 overall in this year's draft, and Haskins is battling veteran journeyman Colt McCoy and Case Keenum to start Week 1 of the regular season.

Washington kicks off the preseason on Thursday night at the Cleveland Browns, and all three quarterbacks should play. The team's first released depth chart by Jay Gruden lists McCoy first, Keenum second and Haskins third. Doesn't necessarily mean they will play in that order Thursday, and one would think Haskins seems easily the most snaps because he's so raw with much to learn.

Gruden has downplayed any significance of the first depth chart: "It's early and I was forced to make it," he said earlier this week. There's no reason to, it's silly. But that's for the media and for me to come up and answer these questions. But really, that's all it is. Words on a piece of paper, names on a piece of paper and an order that means nothing at this point."

Not really a surprise that Haskins is listed third considering he started just the one year at OSU, while McCoy knows the Redskins' system because he has been there since 2014. Keenum has been in the league since 2013 and helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC title game following the 2017 season.

Gruden enters on one of the hottest seats in the NFL so he probably doesn't want to leave his fate up to a rookie early on. Gruden has had some success in the preseason in his career with 12-8 record as Redskins coach.

Thursday will be the head coaching debut for the Browns' Freddie Kitchens; he closed last season as the offensive coordinator under then-interim coach Gregg Williams. Not clear if Kitchens will play new addition Odell Beckham Jr. on Thursday. He was injured in a preseason game two years ago against, ironically, the Browns. Guessing we will see the Browns debut of running back Kareem Hunt simply because he's suspended the first eight games of the regular season so the team would surely like to get him as many reps as possible before that.

Cleveland is a 1.5-point underdog on the NFL odds for Thursday's game.