Robert Griffin III Debacle Has Crippled the Washington Redskins

By Sean Jensen @seankjensen on November 26, 2014

On Sunday, the Washington Redskins travel west to play the Indianapolis Colts.

It should have been the Game of the Week, pitting the top two picks of the 2012 NFL Draft against one another for the first time.

But the Redskins waved the most regrettable of red flags Wednesday, announcing that quarterback Robert Griffin III had been benched, thus effectively admitting the club erred not only in making him the second overall pick in 2012 but also in conceding a king’s ransom to the St. Louis Rams to get him.

The mistake, as one current personnel executive texted me, “is crippling.”

Added a former general manager, “This sets the franchise back a couple of years.”

Predictably, the Redskins are insisting Griffin is still in their long-term plans but are only doing so to drum up as much trade value as possible (we’ll get to that later).

“He’s just got to have the confidence and swagger that made him who he is,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden told Indianapolis reporters on a pre-scheduled conference call. “That comes with time. It’s not easy for these young quarterbacks. Not too long ago, you didn’t even think about playing a rookie quarterback until he was three years in, sitting on the bench, and then you bring him in slowly.

“A lot of these young guys have been forced into action. Andrew Luck’s the exception.”

The latter comment is dripping in irony.

Though he doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring, Luck is already a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, the rare elite player who has fulfilled high expectations. He’s led the Colts to the postseason each season, and he’s got his team atop the AFC South with a 7-4 record.

The Redskins?

After a 10-6 season in 2012, they’ve won six whopping games. After the Colts, the Redskins will face their trade partner.

The Rams gave up the No. 2 pick for Washington’s 2012 first-round pick (6^th overall), 2013 first-round pick (22^nd), 2014 first-round pick (2^nd) and 2012 second-round pick (39^th). Just 2-14 in 2011, the Rams were desperate for an infusion of talent, and they wheeled and dealt to land even more draft picks.

The results haven’t been overwhelming, but the Rams are better equipped then the Redskins to be relevant next season, though both franchises still lack an answer at the game’s most important position.

The Rams believed Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, could eventually take the next significant step in his development, but his 2013 and 2014 seasons were prematurely ended by torn ACLs.

For now, the Rams are hopeful that a few of the players from the Redskins’ initial haul (Janoris Jenkins, Greg Robinson, Michael Brockers, Isaiah Pead, Alec Ogletree, Zac Stacy, among others) will develop into starters and stars.

In retrospect, though, the Redskins and Rams were unfortunate in landing top-10 picks in what is apparently one of the most dreadful drafts in recent memory: the Cleveland Browns (3^rd) traded away running back Trent Richardson; the Minnesota Vikings (4^th) must be ruing the selection of Matt Kalil, who Pro Football Focus has rated as the 78^th best offensive tackle… out of 79 posted; and the Jacksonville Jaguars (5^th) have all but given up on receiver Justin Blackmon.

Other than Luck, the only other top-10 pick who has lived up to his billing is Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.

But it’s too early to predict the demise of Griffin, Kalil and even Richardson.

They’re still young players, and they’ll get second chances.

For his part, Griffin should focus less on social media and endorsements, and more on rehabbing, making better on-field decisions and learning to lead teammates.

He is, after all, just 24 years old.

Even if he doesn’t get his blazing wheels back, Griffin has shown enough talent as a passer and playmaker to shine for a team.

For now, Griffin needs to pray and play nice so the Redskins send him to a place where he can take the next key steps in his development. The Redskins will want to salvage as much as possible, but they’ll likely command, at most, a third-round pick, according to one league executive.

But such decisions are off in the distance, things that won’t be discussed until the offseason. Despite a 3-8 record, Washington must march forward.

“My job is do everything we can to win,” Gruden said Wednesday. “At this time, I just feel like Colt (McCoy) gives us a better opportunity.”