Is RG3’s best landing spot with Rams? Breaking down his next move
Robert Griffin, since he was benched last summer, has lived on the periphery of the NFL.
He is still around, but we haven’t heard or seen much from him at all. He didn’t play a snap last season. He hasn’t posted anything on Twitter about his future, and it’s hard to even remember when his last interview was.
But he’s a factor, simply because he’s a free-agent quarterback who has a big-time draft pedigree and an offensive rookie of the year award. And a few teams are scrambling to find an answer at quarterback. One of those teams is the Los Angeles Rams, and Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reported that Griffin “very much” wants to play for the Rams.
One can see the appeal for both sides if that report is true (it’s hard to tell because we’ve heard so little from Griffin lately), but Griffin needs to make sure his next move is the right one. At some point teams will move on, because being the No. 2 pick of the 2012 draft and a great rookie year has a lot less meaning with each year that passes. But after being cut by the Washington Redskins, he still has a chance to find the right spot to revive his NFL career. Since we have little idea what Griffin is looking for, here are some of his possible priorities in free agency:
Be the starter: It’s not easy to accept a backup role if you have a shot to start. And Griffin might have a chance to start with the Rams, Denver Broncos, New York Jets if they can’t bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick, San Francisco 49ers if they trade Colin Kaepernick, or maybe the Cleveland Browns.
Griffin didn’t play a snap last year and he likely believes he should still start in the NFL (if he didn’t believe this, it would be strange. I don’t know about you, but I want my quarterback believing in himself). Perhaps his top priority is to start again, and that’s perfectly reasonable.
Be the star: There’s a difference. The quarterback is always going to have some degree of attention, but if Griffin — who was the talk of the NFL four years ago — wants to be back in that position, what’s better than being the biggest name (along with Todd Gurley) on Los Angeles’ first NFL team in 21 years? He’d get a starring role there like he wouldn’t on the defense-dominated Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, for instance. Of course, the Rams would have to show interest in signing him, and we don’t know if that’s the case.
There’s pressure that goes with that though. Imagine if he ends up as the New York Jets quarterback. Ask Geno Smith how that goes.
Make the most money possible: I’d never fault someone of that’s on their mind. A player’s earning potential isn’t infinite. If you want to maximize the NFL dollars you earn, go for it. Someone like the 49ers would have an insane amount of cap space and a quarterback void, if they trade Kaepernick. Who knows if that’s Griffin’s motivation. He has made a little more than $21 million just off NFL salary, according to Spotrac, so he shouldn’t be hurting. But it’s a consideration.
Develop as a backup: If Griffin wants to have the longest and most successful career possible, this isn’t the worst idea. He didn’t play well for Washington after his rookie season, and at times his need for development as a pocket quarterback was obvious. He theoretically had all last year to learn as a backup in Washington, but the vibe wasn’t exactly good there so who knows how that went.
What about Griffin landing somewhere like the Seattle Seahawks though? He could sign a short-term deal, back up Russell Wilson, who has a similar skill set in an offense that has been great for Wilson. The pressure would be off. He could just focus on becoming a better quarterback. And the backup isn’t necessarily always going to be stuck on the bench. Griffin knows the flip side of that all too well.
The Dallas Cowboys also seem like a good fit in this scenario, though in that market he’d have a lot more pressure than your average backup quarterback.
Get with the most quarterback-friendly coach: This just seems obvious. Griffin at some point should look at the staffs of the teams after him and ask himself, which of these coaches will help me the most? If that’s the case, the Rams might be his last pick. Jeff Fisher and his staff have a pretty bad record at developing quarterbacks.
The Broncos seem like a good staff for Griffin. Gary Kubiak has been a head coach or offensive coordinator 21 NFL seasons, and his offenses have finished in the top half of the NFL in total yards 19 of 21 times (with 13 top-10 finishes). His offense values a quarterback who can throw on the move. Or maybe Griffin thinks he fits in Chip Kelly’s offense, if San Francisco is ever an option. Kelly did turn Nick Foles into an MVP candidate one year. Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has done a good job with quarterbacks, too.
Whatever Griffin’s priorities are in picking his new spot, he can’t waste it at age 26. A wasted stop now will be tough to rebound from.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
