The Future of RGIII

[LyricalRico]

Well, it's finally over. This tune was a little early, but still captured the inevitable:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Awmr7N1e8[/youtube]

We will always have our memories of 2012. And then, of course, we'll also always have this:



Now that we know there's no more RG3-in-DC, what's next? Here's the latest on league-wide feelings on Griffin:

Based on conversations with multiple people involved in the NFL, from coaches to scouts and executives, a few things jumped out: They believe he will be signed; they’re not confident he will develop because of what they perceive as his lack of natural instincts for the position, his skills in the pocket, and his failure to throw well on the move. They said he needed to go somewhere he could sit and fully learn another offense.

Still, as one coach said, “When you look around the league, someone will give him an opportunity to compete ... because of his athleticism, it gives teams something you have to prepare for.”

For what it’s worth, multiple coaches said -- after a season in which Griffin received praise for handling his demotion -- they were turned off by the note he left in his locker on clean-out day. While it had been hanging in his locker all season, they did not like that it was the one note he left after taking down everything else.

“That was a blatant, 'It’s not on me, it’s on everybody else,'” one coach said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/23169/coaches-scouts-target-eight-spots-for-rg-iiis-next-stop

The same article lists 7 teams, with reasons why it will or won't happen:

1. Houston Texans (where I think he will go)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (where I think he should go)
3. Buffalo Bills
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Carolina Panthers
6. Dallas Cowboys
7. Seattle Seahawks

Post your thoughts on RGIII's future here!

[Ruzious]

I was disappointed that he played the martyr card one more time - after being a good soldier all season, but whatever gets him through the day. I'd guess Dallas or San Fran - because of Jerry and Chip. I think the Shannys are done with him.

[LyricalRico]

The ruby slippers are on, and they're clicking. No place like home. No place like Texas. No place like the Dallas Cowboys, where the spotlight is blinding and the tolerance for drama is beyond compare.

Johnny Manziel has his eye on it. And now, so does Robert Griffin III.

<snip>

And sources close to both are saying some very similar things about each quarterback and the Cowboys. Chiefly that each player would love to end up in Dallas, and that there is a real possibility (or hope) that team owner Jerry Jones will make that dream happen.

<snip>

Sources close to each player have maintained since the beginning of last offseason that if either was cut loose from his franchise, there was a belief that Jones would be interested. That remains to be seen. Regardless, the same sources have told Yahoo Sports that both Manziel and Griffin have Dallas atop their preferred destinations should they become available.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/should-cowboys-push-for-rg3-or-manziel-to-back-up-romo--190053089.html

Who will be the Cowboys' backup quarterback in 2016? Pro Football Hall of Famer and Fox analyst Troy Aikman narrowed the candidates down to two.

"I believe, as I sit here today, either Johnny Manziel or Robert Griffin III will be in Dallas as the backup," Aikman said on SI.com.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/01/26/troy-aikman-either-rgiii-johnny-manziel-will-cowboys-backup-qb

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyKWBP7B2tc[/youtube]

Baylor head coach Art Briles thinks Robert Griffin III and the Dallas Cowboys would be a terrific pairing.

Appearing at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. to watch four of his players compete, Briles commented on where the best landing spot for his former player could be:

“You could have a dream. That would probably be making it come true,” Briles said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “That would be a great place for him. It’s a great organization; being back in Texas and with the Cowboys and having a chance to get in there under Romo for three years. Not that they need to sell tickets, but it wouldn’t hurt ticket sales.”

While this isn’t a new idea — RG3 potentially landing in Dallas — it sure seems to be gaining some steam.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/art-briles-robert-griffin-iii-to-dallas-cowboys-could-be-dream-come-true/ar-BBoPYyi?li=BBnba9I

[Ruzious]

I guess it makes sense in that Robert went to Baylor - and Baylor is close to Dallas, and Jerruh likes big name players. As a Skins fan who hates the Cowboys, I hope it happens, because I think he's bound to fail there playing in a traditional NFL offense. But as a humanitarian... eh, I'm no humanitarian when it comes to football. Give him a long guaranteed contract, Jerruh.

[LyricalRico]

I guess it makes sense in that Robert went to Baylor - and Baylor is close to Dallas, and Jerruh likes big name players. As a Skins fan who hates the Cowboys, I hope it happens, because I think he's bound to fail there playing in a traditional NFL offense. But as a humanitarian... eh, I'm no humanitarian when it comes to football. Give him a long guaranteed contract, Jerruh.

At the very least it would take the 30-for-30 up to an 11!

What makes Dallas interesting is that it could either be a place where he learns for a couple years, or a place where he's able to start relatively quickly. It all depends on Romo's health. Does he come back 100% and play another full season or two? Or does he continue to break down and RG3 ends up under center sooner rather than later?

[Ruzious]

I guess it makes sense in that Robert went to Baylor - and Baylor is close to Dallas, and Jerruh likes big name players. As a Skins fan who hates the Cowboys, I hope it happens, because I think he's bound to fail there playing in a traditional NFL offense. But as a humanitarian... eh, I'm no humanitarian when it comes to football. Give him a long guaranteed contract, Jerruh.

At the very least it would take the 30-for-30 up to an 11!

What makes Dallas interesting is that it could either be a place where he learns for a couple years, or a place where he's able to start relatively quickly. It all depends on Romo's health. Does he come back 100% and play another full season or two? Or does he continue to break down and RG3 ends up under center sooner rather than later?

Please start him quickly.

Sure, he can improve with hard work, but people who seem to know what they're talking about say that you either have a feel for working in a pocket or you don't - and no amount of work is going to give you the feel if you don't have the instincts. I'm not sure I've seen worse pocket instincts than Robert showed when he was here. And if you're thinking - just roll him out every play - Robert was terrible rolling to his left. I suppose it's theoretically possible to correct his mechanics, but it's not something I'd expect. So, he can only roll to his right - making him very predictable. As a rookie, he was probably the most difficult QB to plan against. Now, he might be the easiest.

[LyricalRico]

More opinions on Griffin from around the league:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-talent-evaluators-are-divided-on-robert-griffin-iiis-future/2016/02/01/190f0f16-c916-11e5-ae11-57b6aeab993f_story.html

Seems pretty split.

[Ruzious]

They can release him today. Rumor has it that they'll try to sign him to a re-done contract, so they can trade him. I guess they have leverage, because they can hold onto his rights longer and let him twist in the wind, but it seems to me that's not the way to deal with people - just for the small chance to add a late round pick.

[LyricalRico]

They can release him today. Rumor has it that they'll try to sign him to a re-done contract, so they can trade him. I guess they have leverage, because they can hold onto his rights longer and let him twist in the wind, but it seems to me that's not the way to deal with people - just for the small chance to add a late round pick.

I was thinking they might do something similar, and I'd be fine if they hold onto him for a while to try to get something done. I'm not even pressed to get a pick in this year's draft, I'd be fine getting something slightly higher in 2017. Maybe a 7th that becomes a 6th if he makes the team, and a 5th he starts a few games?

Of course, the other side of the could is having him on the books restricts other moves they can make. So it's not like he has zero leverage. Isn't June 1st a big veteran cut day, the day teams can waive guys and break up some of the cap penalty? I'd say the team holds onto him until then trying to get something done. After that, they'll need to free up the cap money to sign draft picks and fill out the roster. And from RG3's perspective, there's plenty of time for him to find a spot before camps start.

[Ruzious]

They can release him today. Rumor has it that they'll try to sign him to a re-done contract, so they can trade him. I guess they have leverage, because they can hold onto his rights longer and let him twist in the wind, but it seems to me that's not the way to deal with people - just for the small chance to add a late round pick.

I was thinking they might do something similar, and I'd be fine if they hold onto him for a while to try to get something done. I'm not even pressed to get a pick in this year's draft, I'd be fine getting something slightly higher in 2017. Maybe a 7th that becomes a 6th if he makes the team, and a 5th he starts a few games?

Of course, the other side of the could is having him on the books restricts other moves they can make. So it's not like he has zero leverage. Isn't June 1st a big veteran cut day, the day teams can waive guys and break up some of the cap penalty? I'd say the team holds onto him until then trying to get something done. After that, they'll need to free up the cap money to sign draft picks and fill out the roster. And from RG3's perspective, there's plenty of time for him to find a spot before camps start.

Right, it could restrict them from doing something else, or they could end up in a situation where they sign him and then the team that the Skins wanted to trade him to backs out. Then they're stuck - if any of it's guaranteed. Basically, I think playing games like that with someone's future usually turns out poorly - whether it's karma or not.

[LyricalRico]

They can release him today. Rumor has it that they'll try to sign him to a re-done contract, so they can trade him. I guess they have leverage, because they can hold onto his rights longer and let him twist in the wind, but it seems to me that's not the way to deal with people - just for the small chance to add a late round pick.

I was thinking they might do something similar, and I'd be fine if they hold onto him for a while to try to get something done. I'm not even pressed to get a pick in this year's draft, I'd be fine getting something slightly higher in 2017. Maybe a 7th that becomes a 6th if he makes the team, and a 5th he starts a few games?

Of course, the other side of the could is having him on the books restricts other moves they can make. So it's not like he has zero leverage. Isn't June 1st a big veteran cut day, the day teams can waive guys and break up some of the cap penalty? I'd say the team holds onto him until then trying to get something done. After that, they'll need to free up the cap money to sign draft picks and fill out the roster. And from RG3's perspective, there's plenty of time for him to find a spot before camps start.

Right, it could restrict them from doing something else, or they could end up in a situation where they sign him and then the team that the Skins wanted to trade him to backs out. Then they're stuck - if any of it's guaranteed. Basically, I think playing games like that with someone's future usually turns out poorly - whether it's karma or not.

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of them leaving the contract as is, and shopping for deals with the understanding that he'd have to restructure to make the deal happen. Basically the Skins would hope for the following:

Griffin and another team have mutual interest early on in the offseason. Instead of waiting for Washington to release him to the open market, both parties want to get something done sooner rather than later and the Skins extort a minimal draft asset for the courtesy of not blocking things by holding onto Griffin further into the offseason.

I think that's fine, just part of the business side of the game. But you do have a point that it might be good business just to release him and avoid even the perception of trying to sabotage a player's future. I guess the question is when does it get to that point?

Thinking about it more, my idea of June 1st is WAY too long. (If nothing else, sports radio would be insufferable. LOL) But I think it's defensible for them to hold onto him through the draft, on the off chance that a team misses out on somebody and still needs a QB. Maybe not ideal, but defensible. After that, though - they gotta release him.

[Ruzious]

Besides that, in these types of situations, NFL teams are reluctant to give anything up when they know that at some point, if they wait it out, the Skins will cut him, and they can just sign him themselves - probably for chump change.

[LyricalRico]

Well, Griffin has a clean bill of health so he can indeed be cut with no guarantees. And we also don't have to guess in the proper timing anymore - they have until March 9th to cut him or the deal becomes guaranteed.

I still expect them to wait until the last possible day while searching for a scenario where there's strong common interest and they can squeeze a conditional late pick out of the deal. Unlikely but let's see what happens.

[LyricalRico]

Barnwell at ESPN thinks the Bills should sign RG3. The interesting thing is he says it right after saying they should extend Tyrod Taylor.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14777385/fives-moves-bills-dolphins-jets-patriots-make-offseason-nfl

[Ruzious]

Barnwell at ESPN thinks the Bills should sign RG3. The interesting thing is he says it right after saying they should extend Tyrod Taylor.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14777385/fives-moves-bills-dolphins-jets-patriots-make-offseason-nfl

Interesting - a few articles below, it says RG3 would be a bad fit in Dallas, because they run an offense based on timing. It also says RG3 will command a lot in free agency.

[LyricalRico]

Barnwell at ESPN thinks the Bills should sign RG3. The interesting thing is he says it right after saying they should extend Tyrod Taylor.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14777385/fives-moves-bills-dolphins-jets-patriots-make-offseason-nfl

Interesting - a few articles below, it says RG3 would be a bad fit in Dallas, because they run an offense based on timing. It also says RG3 will command a lot in free agency.

And in his latest, the same guy has this as his #5 move for the Rams:

5. Sign Robert Griffin. If there's a place that they might want to look for a high-upside option, though, it's at quarterback. The Rams have gone with high-floor, low-ceiling options in years past and found that the floor was lower than they expected. There's little guarantee RG III would work out, of course, but there's something compelling about the idea of the Rams succeeding with the quarterback they essentially traded away to Washington before the 2012 draft. And there's nobody on the market who has ever played any better than Griffin did during his season in the sun. It probably wouldn't work, but it would sure be interesting.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14802817/five-moves-cardinals-rams-49ers-seahawks-make-offseason-nfl

[LyricalRico]

Washington front office finally confirming the inevitable:

Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen finally said publicly what has been a poorly kept secret for some time: Quarterback Robert Griffin III will play elsewhere next season. And, Allen said, he'll have his choice of teams to further his NFL career.

<snip>

"I see Robert getting an opportunity with another team," Allen said. "We've heard from some teams that are interested. I think he's going to have a choice of a couple teams that will let him excel in the future."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14831486/robert-griffin-iii-washington-redskins-next-season-bruce-allen-says

Sounds like they are still going to try to work out some kind of renegotiate-and-trade scenario, but it won't be drawn out after all - they have to do it by March 9th. After that, they have to cut him to avoid the money becoming guaranteed.

[Ruzious]

That's good that the CBA gives some protection against basically holding players hostage for a long period of time.

[CobraCommander]

Rg3 to Dallas, Texas or the Rams-

I hope he torches the league and I will always love this guy no matter what uniform he wears. I realllly want him out of this toxic situation as quickly as possible.

[Ruzious]

Rg3 to Dallas, Texas or the Rams-

I hope he torches the league and I will always love this guy no matter what uniform he wears. I realllly want him out of this toxic situation as quickly as possible.

I wish him well, but I think he's a victim of his own mistakes - moreso than anyone else's. He's the one who decided against being in the offense that made him successful. And it's not anyone else's fault that he failed MISERABLY to learn to operate in the pocket. He was given every opportunity and thensome by Gruden. If he goes to Dallas, he's almost certainly going to fail unless they completely change their offense, imo.