Tag: Robert Griffin III (Page 6 of 8)

      Don’t buy what Irsay is selling – Luck will be the No. 1 pick.

      March 27, 2012 /

      Colts owner Jim Irsay said on Tuesday that it isn’t a foregone conclusion that his team will take Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. Irsay also suggested that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are in fact real, and Tiger Woods is a virgin.

      Here’s what Irsay said: “It’s up in the air. We have to look at this thing completely open-minded. You have two outstanding athletes, two great pure passers, two great guys from families that are incredible.”

      Every year around this time an owner, general manager, head coach, or talking head from the media reports that the sure-thing-No.1-overall-pick isn’t such a sure thing at all. I remember last year the Panthers weren’t going to take Cam Newton because they wanted to upgrade their defense. Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson, and even Da’Quan Bowers were thrown around as potential choices for Carolina at No. 1. But when the rubber met the road, the Panthers took the obvious choice in Newton.

      And so will Irsay and the Colts. (The obvious choice, that is – not Newton.) Irsay is right when he says that Luck and RGIII are two outstanding athletes and two pure passers. But Luck has been a slam-dunk to the Colts for months now and outside of the Stanford QB opting to join the Peace Corps or something, he’ll hold a blue and white No. 1 Indianapolis jersey come April 26.

      That said, even though I don’t believe a word of what Irsay is saying, by no means do I think he’s going about this situation the wrong way. Even if what you’re going to do is already a foregone conclusion, you still don’t tip your hand when it comes to the draft. Ever. Outside of hammering out a contract with Luck to ensure that he gets to camp on time, there’s no benefit for the Colts to announce their intentions at No. 1. And now that the NFL has a rookie salary structure, the negotiation process has become simplified, so the Colts have less to worry about when it comes to being able to sign Luck.

      Thus, if you’re Irsay, why not give the Redskins and other teams something to think about by suggesting that Luck won’t be your pick? It’s a benefit to keep everyone else on the back of their heels.

      But again, Andrew Luck will be an Indianapolis Colt come next month. I don’t care what Jim Irsay is saying right now.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Five Quick-Hit Observations from Day 1 of 2012 NFL Free Agency

      March 13, 2012 /

      As expected, teams didn’t waste any time making a splash on Day 1 of the 2012 NFL free agency period. (Funny how so many deals get done minutes after the opening of free agency when teams and players aren’t supposed to talk to each other until then.) While the receivers stole the show on Tuesday, the biggest name on the market is still without a home. Below are quick-hit observations from the first day of the NFL free agency period.

      1. The Bears and Brandon Marshall are a perfect marriage (at least for now).
      Most of the speculation involving the Bears the past 24 hours was centered on Mario Williams. But it was another big name acquisition that rookie general manager Phil Emery had his eye on. The Bears have been without a prototypical l No. 1 receiver for decades but Marshall will change all of that. From what I’ve read, Marshall deeply respects Jay Cutler and the feeling is mutual. Cutler targeted Marshall early and often while in Denver and as long as the latter can keep his head on straight, this trade should benefit the Bears greatly. And while some Chicago fans were clamoring for Emery to sign Vincent Jackson, the Bears’ faithful have to be ecstatic about landing Marshall instead. As for the Dolphins, two third-round picks are nice but Miami is now left with Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Clyde Gats as its top three receivers. The Dolphins lacked offensive talent coming into the offseason and today they just sent their top playmaker to Chicago. While they may have parted with a headache, they just created another need for themselves in the process.

      2. The Redskins overpaid for Garcon, but they’ve upgraded their receiver corps nonetheless.
      The Daniel Snyder-led Redskins have been overpaying free agents for the better part of a decade. So when I read that they gave Pierre Garcon a five-year, $42.5 million contract it was hardly surprising. There’s no doubt they overpaid for Garcon’s services, but at least the fit is good. The former Colt is very good after the catch, which certainly suits head coach Mike Shanahan’s West Coast offense. Along with Garcon, the Skins also added Josh Morgan and Eddie Royal, so a team that desperately needed more playmakers on offense has come out of the gates strong this offseason. Robert Griffin III should sleep easy tonight knowing that his future receiving corps just got dramatically better over the last 24 hours.

      3. It’s good to see the Glazer Family spend some of the Bucs’ cap money.
      Two years ago the Buccaneers won 10 games and nearly qualified for the playoffs mostly because of a weak schedule. So the Glazer Family decided that they weren’t going to spend money last offseason in order to improve a young team that still needed to be tweaked. (Oh sorry, unless you want to consider the six-year, $19.5 million contract they gave free agent punter Michael Koenen.) This year, however, the Bucs made a statement by signing Vincent Jackson on day one of free agency. Even though Jackson could be limited in new head coach Greg Schiano’s run-heavy offense, at least Tampa Bay is actually trying to make improvements to its roster. When healthy and you know, playing, Jackson is a multi-faceted receiver. He’s a deep threat, he has great hands, he runs excellent routes, and he blocks extremely well. He’s the complete package and while $26 million in guaranteed money is steep, at least the Glazers finally cracked open that checkbook of theirs.

      4. I can’t see Mario Williams winding up in Buffalo.
      If I were Mario Williams I would go on as many visits as were offered to me. Premier edge rushers aren’t exactly available down aisle three at Wal-Mart, so he might as well make the most of the opportunity that he’s been given. Thus, there’s no reason not to go to Buffalo and listen to what the Bills have to offer. Apparently they’re willing to pay him as the top defensive player in the league, which is obviously great for Williams. But at the end of the day I just can’t see Williams signing with a team that’s not a contender. Sure Buffalo came out of the gates hot last year and maybe Williams would be their missing piece. But Ryan Fitzpatrick eventually cooled off and the team’s play fell off a cliff. There’s no doubt that Williams would improve their chances greatly, but there has to be another team willing to pay his asking price. Granted, he may have to take less to go to a contender but at least he would have a legitimate shot at reaching a Super Bowl. With the Patriots in the same division as the Bills, I just don’t see Buffalo contending for a playoff spot soon.
      UPDATE: As I was saying, Mario Williams is a perfect fit for Buffalo.

      5. Weren’t the Colts rebuilding?
      I have no idea what the Indianapolis Colts are doing these days. Last year proved how devoid of overall talent they had when Peyton Manning didn’t play a snap and the team fell apart. And with Peyton off to destinations unknown, the Colts have a long ways to go before being respectable again. After cleaning house last week by parting ways with players like Manning, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Gary Brackett, I thought the team was going to start over with a massive rebuilding project this offseason. Instead, they re-upped with 31-year-old Robert Mathis on a lucrative deal and today signed Reggie Wayne to a three-year, $17.5 million contract. Mathis, and to a lesser extent, Wayne, are still productive players but I’m just not sure what the Colts’ game plan is here. Are they rebuilding or are they just trying to hold onto the past in any way they can?

      External Sports, NFL

      Mike Shanahan, Redskins put all of their eggs in the RGIII basket

      March 10, 2012 /

      It really doesn’t need to be said but I’ll go ahead and say it anyway: Robert Griffin III better damn be worth it.

      Trade three first-round picks and a second-round selection for a Hall of Fame, Super Bowl-winning quarterback and nobody will say squat. In fact, when it’s all said and done that team may even be referred to as fearless, gutsy and innovative.

      Trade three first-round picks and a second rounder for a Ryan Leaf or Akili Smith-type career and fans, the media, and the football gods themselves will never let you hear the end of it.

      In the cover of the night, the Redskins acquired the No. 2 overall pick from the Rams in exchange for not one, not two, but three first-round picks and their 2012 second-round selection. People were so caught off guard by the announcement that even the league’s personal network had to use Charles Davis to talk about the trade in the middle of an Arena Football League game. True story.

      Unless the Colts pull a fast one and select RGIII instead of Andrew Luck, Griffin will be a Washington Redskin come April 26. It’s the type of move we’ve come to expect of the Redskins, who have even been known to overpay at Wal-Mart. It’s a little surprising that Mike Shanahan signed off on the deal but then again, when a head coach with control of the football operations wants a player, nothing will get in his way.

      As head honcho for the Falcons back in 1999, Dan Reeves once traded a first-round pick to move up in the second round so he could select a blocking tight end in Mississippi State’s Reggie Kelly. That first-round pick wound up being Jamal Lewis, whom the Ravens selected with the fifth overall pick in 2000.

      Ironically, that same year Mike Ditka traded all of the Saints’ picks in that 1999 draft plus their first-round selection in 2000 to the Redskins in order to move up to select Ricky Williams. Needless to say, neither Williams nor Ditka lasted very long in New Orleans.

      Granted, maybe Daniel Snyder or GM Bruce Allen was at the forefront of this trade for the Redskins. But seeing as how Shanahan has the final say in Washington these days, I’m willing to bet that he was the one who essentially upped the ante to push the deal through. And at least from the Redskins’ point of view, good thing he did because apparently the Browns were also willing to offer the Rams three first-round picks in order to move up to select the dynamic Griffin.

      So now we wait. We wait to see if this will all be worth it for the Redskins in the end. If Griffin wins just one Super Bowl then the price will be justified. He certainly has the talent to succeed and considering he’s a bright kid with a ton of charisma and high character, you don’t have to squint very hard to see that he can be the face of a NFL franchise. Seeing as how head coaches are equipped with built-in egos that tell them they can polish any stone into a diamond, Shanahan probably isn’t sweating parting with four potential starters for a player like Griffin either.

      That said, he and the Redskins will find it awfully difficult in the upcoming years to build a competitive team around RGIII. A team doesn’t find itself drafting in the top 10 by accident. Washington has a ton of holes and one day we may look back on this trade and deem it a failure not because of Griffin, but because the Skins didn’t have the resources to surround him with enough weapons.

      But for now, the Redskins finally have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades. For now, we wait until Shanahan and RGIII have an opportunity to make the Redskins look either fearless or incredibly stupid.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      RG3 and his speed

      March 6, 2012 /

      Jason Whitlock has an interesting take on Robert Griffin III and the impressive 40-time he displayed at the combine.

      In my opinion, Griffin’s speed doesn’t enhance his draft stock. It damages it.

      I am not a Robert Griffin hater. I love RG3. In all likelihood, he will be my favorite NFL player next season. He could quickly become my favorite active athlete, ahead of Tiger Woods, Ray Lewis and Jeff George (has yet to file his retirement paperwork).

      But I’m worried about Griffin. He’s blessed with too many tools. Oftentimes, the greatest athletes are physically limited, which strengthens their focus. Bill Russell could never match Wilt Chamberlain’s size and limitless athleticism. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson weren’t the greatest leapers or the quickest on their feet.

      Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are relatively immobile. They play from the pocket because they have no choice. They mastered the art of playing from the pocket because they had no other choice.

      NFL games are won most consistently by quarterbacks who play from the pocket. If a quarterback leaves the pocket, he’s going to get hit. If a quarterback gets hit regularly, he’s going to get hurt. If a franchise quarterback gets injured, his team has little chance of winning the Super Bowl.

      NFL teams are looking for the next Manning or Brady. Or the next Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger. A little mobility is good, especially if the quarterback moves in the pocket in an effort to throw downfield. Rodgers and Big Ben are terrific at moving to throw. Is that how Griffin will use his athleticism?

      Or does Griffin have so much speed that he’ll channel Michael Vick?

      Whitlock goes on to recount Vick’s early problems as he relied too much on his speed and athleticism. Athletes like Steve Young had to learn how to stay in the pocket.

      Whitlock basically sums up the primary reason why Andrew Luck is rated higher than RG3, even as some think RG3 has more upside. It’s a risk/reward analysis. Luck has shown that he can win strictly as a pocket passer, using his athleticism only when needed.

      Can RG3 learn to play that way? Of course he can. But just because he has the aptitude and temperament to learn doesn’t guarantee success. Luck isn’t guaranteed success either, but we’ve seen him operate consistently from the pocket, so there’s less risk.

      NFL

      Packers don’t use franchise tag on Matt Flynn

      March 5, 2012 /

      Ever since his record-shattering game against the Lions at the end of the 2011 season, Matt Flynn has been a hot topic. He isn’t getting quite as much press as RG3 (who is, other than Jeremy Lin?), but he’s still one of the key pieces in what will be one of the wildest offseasons in NFL history.

      Today we learned that the Green Bay Packers have let Flynn become an unrestricted free agent by not using the franchise tag on him as many had speculated. It was the right call. Flynn will get plenty of attention as a free agent, but as a signed player with a one-year contract in the neighborhood of $14 million, the path to obtaining Flynn would end up being much tougher for many teams.

      If you watch the video above, you’ll see that some of Flynn’s eye-pooping stats from that game were created by the great Packer playmakers. One of his six touchdowns resulted from a simple screen pass that went for around 80 yards. Yet you’ll also see some great passes from Flynn as well. Is he a risk with only two pro starts under his belt? Of course he is. Is he potentially a system quarterback? Sure. But he learned that offense from the best, and he seems to have all the intangibles, so a West Coast Offense team like Cleveland could plug him in right away.

      Who knows where he’ll end up, but he and Peyton Manning will have a huge impact on the future of a lot of teams, as their signings will also impact the market for Robert Griffin III, which will then impact where the rest of the college quarterbacks go in the draft. Betting NFL games will be very interesting at the beginning of next season, as we’ll have quite a few new quarterbacks, along with veterans like Manning offering up plenty of questions as you browse the lines and check on your sportsbook reviews.

      It all probably starts with the Miami Dolphins. This might be the perfect fit for Matt Flynn as they now have his former offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, as the new head coach. Yet their owner seems intent on becoming the next Daniel Snyder, so rumors are circulating about Miami going after Peyton Manning. And then of course we have the real Mr. Snyder to account for as the Redskins are rumored to be hot for RG3.

      Who knows how all of this plays out, but with Flynn becoming a free agent and Manning sure to follow, it’s way too soon to guess what will happen in the draft.

      NFL

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