Official Robert Griffin III - RGIII RG3 (1 Viewer)

Faust said:

DeSean Jackson fallout: Robert Griffin III vs. Nick Foles in 2014

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Which version of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III will show up this season?

Will it be the electric playmaker who stormed the NFL as a rookie in 2012? Or the 2013 version: The guy with the fouled-up mechanics and vulnerable knee not ready for primetime?

Griffin's quarterback guru has a good idea after six days of workouts with Griffin in March.

"He looked 100 percent healthy," Terry Shea told USA Today's Jim Corbett on Friday. "I didn't let up on him and, boy, he kept coming -- and he reminded me of the old Robert Griffin that I knew coming out of Baylor for those eight-10 weeks we worked together in 2012.

"He could have very easily lost it given the year he had. I put him through a gantlet of drills. And Robert made all the throws, showing great skills. It sure appeared to me that he took that next step as a pocket passer."

Shea first worked with Griffin in advance of the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine and the run-up to the draft that year. He reconvened with RGIII last month in Arizona, working on Griffin's footwork and release point.

"For some reason, they just dropped the ball on his footwork fundamentals," Shea said, referring to former Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. "I'm convinced. You get so caught up on schemes and decisions and progressions and they forget that a quarterback needs just as much attention on his footwork and fundamentals as well."

This is a far different offseason for Griffin, who has been able to focus on his game rather than rehabilitation from surgery. Shea is expecting better results, and there's reason to believe him.

In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast", the guys discuss "Draft Day," then break down who got better (and who got worse) in the AFC East.

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• Improvement in his health.
• Improvement in his offensive weapons.
• New coaching regime that wants balance, but has shown a propensity towards the pass.
• A third year in the off-season program and further acclimation to the NFL game.

Robert Griffin III's struggles in returning from reconstructive knee surgery affected his confidence to a degree that he was reportedly perceived by some inside the Washington Redskins building as fragile and insecure during the 2013 season.

In a Thursday interview with The Washington Post, Griffin conceded that the losing streak, increased criticism, shoddy footwork, errant passing, poor decisions and ensuing late-season benching got to him.

Griffin described his dropoff from 2012 Rookie of the Year form as "a whole journey of second-guessing and wondering."

The difference between this offseason and last is that he has rediscovered the RGIII of old.

"As a quarterback, my identity is I am the leader of this team, I am the guy that everybody looks to when things are going bad," Griffin explained. "I am the guy that delivers.

"I am the guy that everyone on the team offense, defense, special teams -- when it's crunch time, they're not looking at Trent Williams, they're not looking at Alfred Morris. They're looking at Robert Griffin III and that is an identity and position I accept."

Ready to make a "big jump in his game" with two new wide receivers, a healthy Jordan Reed and an revamped offensive line, RGIII is the "Around The League Podcast's" runaway pick for the 2014 Comeback Player of the Year award.

The "Around The League Podcast" NFL Schedule Extravaganza will change the way you look at everything.

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Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III praised the offseason work of Coach Jay Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen as they have worked to fortify the offense around him, wide receiver Pierre Garcon, running back Alfred Morris and left tackle Trent Williams.

In free agency, the Redskins added two talented wide receivers in DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts, a new starting left guard in Shawn Lauvao, a backup guard-center in Mike McGlynn, and are expected to look to the draft to help improve at right tackle and running back while also possibly adding a big-target wide receiver.

“It’s on me to make everything work, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Griffin said. “Coach is giving me all the proper tools, and he’s putting the tools in the shed.”

But despite saying that it’s all on him now, Griffin insists that he doesn’t feel added pressure to perform.

“There’s no pressure at all,” he said. “My job as the quarterback is to allow everybody else to do their jobs. Alfred is going to run the rock. [Roy] Helu, [Chris] Thompson, [Evan] Royster, whoever it might be. They’re going to run the rock. DeSean, Pierre, Andre, Santana, David Gettis, Aldrick Robinson, everybody at receiver, their job is to make plays. My job is to distribute that, to lead this team, to get everybody in the right position. So, that’s no pressure on me at all.”

Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay also plan to give Griffin more freedom to change plays at the line. (Kyle Shanahan tended to opt against installing a lot of audibles in his system, regardless of whether it was Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Griffin or Kirk Cousins at quarterback).

Griffin expressed excitement about that change and increase in responsibility as well.

“If you’re going to give me more opportunities and allow me to control the offense more, that’s all a quarterback can ever ask for,” he said. “So, I’m excited for the opportunity to do everything, and I think Jay is going to allow me to do that. That’s no pressure. That’s what you want. When you believe in yourself, you trust in yourself, and you trust the guys around you, that’s what you want and all you can ask for.”

Griffin said although their relationship remains in the early stages, he feels a strong sense of support from Gruden, who has stressed the importance of everyone within the organization sharing ownership in their mission. The message of unity encourages the quarterback.

“It’s always a constant building of a relationship,” Griffin said. “We haven’t played any games. We haven’t been through any tests or any trials, but just the way it’s started, it’s let me know that we’re in this together, and that’s what it’s all about – being in this together: coaches, players, administration … everybody. It’s all about us in this together to win. We know the only way to have everybody happy is to win football games. It’s not about ego, it’s not about who’s fault it was, it’s not about finger pointing. It’s all about winning. Having that conversation with him really put me in a good place, and having that conversation with the team put us all in a good place, and that’s what’s necessary and that’s what it comes down to.”

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03:12 – Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III had a phenomenal rookie season, but couldn't seem to get back to form in 2013. Will we see an elite RGIII in 2014?

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CapnJB said:

So here is a random thought... there is a lot of talk about Seattle trying to structure contracts so they can pay RW big money when the time comes... but who gets the bigger contract going forward? Robert Griffin (2nd over all in 2012, $21M already guaranteed over first 4 years) or Russell Wilson (75th over in 2012, $3M guaranteed so far... but has a ring)?

Is RG3 going to get Wilson-esque money when the time comes? Is he worth it? Are they prepared for it?

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Jay Gruden still loves the read option, but the new Washington coach reiterated that he has no plans on making it the meat and potatoes of the Redskins' offense.

"We'll have sprinkles here and there," Gruden said in an interview with WSPZ-AM, per The Washington Post. "It's not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll."

As Gruden explains, the toll isn't just on quarterback Robert Griffin III being hit often -- which is an issue unto itself -- it also hurts a team's game planning.

"You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it," he said. "It kind of takes away from the defense's ability a little bit. It takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that.

"So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core dropback passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option."

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden ran some of the better under-the-radar read option plays with quarterback Andy Dalton. Part of the success of those plays stemmed from defenses not being prepared for Dalton scampering. Another was the infrequency with which Gruden utilized the quarterback run.

Dalton is no RGIII, but sometimes you only need a sprinkle of a good thing to make the whole experience sweet.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.

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The Redskins should be a fun team to watch this season with several quality Fantasy options. The key is Robert Griffin III, and I'm expecting him to rebound in a big way.

Last year was a lost season coming off the knee injury from 2012, and he never looked right. But he has the chance to bounce back with new coach Jay Gruden, the addition of DeSean Jackson and being healthy all offseason. He should return to his rookie production level.

Griffin was hindered last year by a knee brace and limited offseason work, but the brace is gone and Griffin has been working out already with his receivers. And the addition of Gruden should help.

Gruden has already said he wants Griffin to run when possible, which is a great sign, and Gruden also helped Andy Dalton finish as a Top 12 Fantasy quarterback the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Bengals. He also got two new weapons in Jackson and Andre Roberts, and along with Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed, Griffin's receiving corps could be dominant.

We like Griffin as a Top 10 Fantasy quarterback coming into the year. He's worth drafting with a mid-round pick, and he could provide big rewards, especially if he's comfortable running again. We're excited for his outlook in 2014.

In sticking with this passing game, let's look at Jackson as well. He had a career season with the Eagles in 2013, and he was rewarded for it by being cut due to apparent differences with coach Chip Kelly and management. The Redskins signed Jackson, and he will immediately become their No. 2 receiver behind Garcon.

His value will take a hit going to the Redskins since 2013 was the first time he was the clear-cut No. 1 option (he previously shared that role with Jeremy Maclin). We're expecting him to post stats similar to his production prior to 2013, which was around 55 catches, 950 yards and five touchdowns on average. He should be drafted as a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver worth a pick in Round 5 or 6.

Garcon should continue to be the No. 1 receiver for the Redskins, and he's a high-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver. He led the NFL in targets in 2013 with 184, but he had just six games with double digits in Fantasy points.

We hope Garcon will be more consistent this season, and the addition of Jackson should help take away coverage. He is worth drafting in Round 4 in standard formats and in Round 3 in PPR leagues.

Reed is someone to target if you miss on the elite tight ends, and he has the chance for a breakout season if he can stay healthy. Reed played well as a rookie in 2013 with 45 catches for 499 yards and three touchdowns, but he was limited to nine games because of concussion problems.

He should be fine to start this season, and he has tremendous upside. The Redskins have plenty of weapons to draw coverage outside with Garcon and Jackson, leaving Reed the chance to exploit the middle of the field. He could emerge as a Top 5 tight end if everything breaks right, but we would draft him as a Top 10 option with a mid-round pick.

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Faust said:

I am thinking that there is a lot to look forward to for those who have RGIII on their rosters:

• Improvement in his health.
• Improvement in his offensive weapons.
• New coaching regime that wants balance, but has shown a propensity towards the pass.
• A third year in the off-season program and further acclimation to the NFL game.

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Faust said:

Jay Gruden: RGIII to run read option in 'sprinkles'

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

Jay Gruden still loves the read option, but the new Washington coach reiterated that he has no plans on making it the meat and potatoes of the Redskins' offense.

"We'll have sprinkles here and there," Gruden said in an interview with WSPZ-AM, per The Washington Post. "It's not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll."

As Gruden explains, the toll isn't just on quarterback Robert Griffin III being hit often -- which is an issue unto itself -- it also hurts a team's game planning.

"You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it," he said. "It kind of takes away from the defense's ability a little bit. It takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that.

"So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core dropback passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option."

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden ran some of the better under-the-radar read option plays with quarterback Andy Dalton. Part of the success of those plays stemmed from defenses not being prepared for Dalton scampering. Another was the infrequency with which Gruden utilized the quarterback run.

Dalton is no RGIII, but sometimes you only need a sprinkle of a good thing to make the whole experience sweet.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.

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Reporting from Redskins OTAs, USA Today's Jim Corbett says Robert Griffin III "looks like a different QB."

Griffin tried to rush back too soon from his knee reconstruction last season, resulting in a nightmarish encore to his jaw-dropping rookie campaign. This year, Griffin will be nearly 20 months removed from his tear by the time Week 1 rolls around. He also has a passer-friendly head coach in Jay Gruden and an explosive new toy in DeSean Jackson. Griffin appears "effortless in his drops and throwing mechanics without that ball and chain knee brace," according to Corbett. RG3 is an excellent bet to make a smashing comeback.

Source: Jim Corbett on Twitter

Jun 4 - 11:48 AM

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DAG said:

This is interesting. A pretty significant part of his rookie season value/production was tied to rushing (119-826-7). In 2012 he completed 65.65% of his passes for 3200-20-5. His 2012 completion percentage was 4th in the league, but his yardage was 22nd.

Of course he struggled overall in 2013 and his fantasy value dipped, but his passing production actually held somewhat steady: 60.1 completion percentage (25th in the league, and he looked pretty bad at times, but there were some good QBs in this percentage range like Luck and Brady); his yards held steady at 3203 (19th in the league) his passing TDs were close (16) and his interceptions went way up (12). But his rushing totals dropped to 86-429-0. Of course his injury recovery has to be accounted for here (in terms of both passing/rushing performance).

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Sabertooth said:

RG3 is going to be a stud. Top he's going to ascend into the top 5 in dynasty QBs in short order. Cam Newton type of value. I am actually contemplating shipping Manning for him in my 2QB dynasty league.

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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

Potential isn't this guys problem, durability is.

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DAG said:

Faust said:

Jay Gruden: RGIII to run read option in 'sprinkles'

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

Jay Gruden still loves the read option, but the new Washington coach reiterated that he has no plans on making it the meat and potatoes of the Redskins' offense.

"We'll have sprinkles here and there," Gruden said in an interview with WSPZ-AM, per The Washington Post. "It's not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll."

As Gruden explains, the toll isn't just on quarterback Robert Griffin III being hit often -- which is an issue unto itself -- it also hurts a team's game planning.

"You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it," he said. "It kind of takes away from the defense's ability a little bit. It takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that.

"So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core dropback passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option."

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden ran some of the better under-the-radar read option plays with quarterback Andy Dalton. Part of the success of those plays stemmed from defenses not being prepared for Dalton scampering. Another was the infrequency with which Gruden utilized the quarterback run.

Dalton is no RGIII, but sometimes you only need a sprinkle of a good thing to make the whole experience sweet.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.

Click to expand...

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This is interesting. A pretty significant part of his rookie season value/production was tied to rushing (119-826-7). In 2012 he completed 65.65% of his passes for 3200-20-5. His 2012 completion percentage was 4th in the league, but his yardage was 22nd.

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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

Potential isn't this guys problem, durability is.

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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

Potential isn't this guys problem, durability is.

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Robert Griffin III - QB - Redskins

Robert Griffin III said the Redskins offense under new coach Jay Gruden will resemble Mike Shanahan's.

"Having two years experience running a pro-level offense, West Coast type, this is very similar," Griffin said. "All the concepts translate over. The reads are similar. It’s just about the philosophy of the coach." Washington projects to be more pass-heavy under Gruden, but their rushing offense isn't going to change from Shanahan’s system. The major difference is that Griffin will see less designed runs, though the continuity between schemes should only add to Griffin's bounce-back appeal. Griffin is currently a value pick at his late sixth-round ADP.

Source: Washington Post

Jul 19 - 10:58 PM

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DAG said:

Faust said:

Jay Gruden: RGIII to run read option in 'sprinkles'

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

Jay Gruden still loves the read option, but the new Washington coach reiterated that he has no plans on making it the meat and potatoes of the Redskins' offense.

"We'll have sprinkles here and there," Gruden said in an interview with WSPZ-AM, per The Washington Post. "It's not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll."

As Gruden explains, the toll isn't just on quarterback Robert Griffin III being hit often -- which is an issue unto itself -- it also hurts a team's game planning.

"You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it," he said. "It kind of takes away from the defense's ability a little bit. It takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that.

"So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core dropback passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option."

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden ran some of the better under-the-radar read option plays with quarterback Andy Dalton. Part of the success of those plays stemmed from defenses not being prepared for Dalton scampering. Another was the infrequency with which Gruden utilized the quarterback run.

Dalton is no RGIII, but sometimes you only need a sprinkle of a good thing to make the whole experience sweet.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.

Click to expand...

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This is interesting. A pretty significant part of his rookie season value/production was tied to rushing (119-826-7). In 2012 he completed 65.65% of his passes for 3200-20-5. His 2012 completion percentage was 4th in the league, but his yardage was 22nd.

Of course he struggled overall in 2013 and his fantasy value dipped, but his passing production actually held somewhat steady: 60.1 completion percentage (25th in the league, and he looked pretty bad at times, but there were some good QBs in this percentage range like Luck and Brady); his yards held steady at 3203 (19th in the league) his passing TDs were close (16) and his interceptions went way up (12). But his rushing totals dropped to 86-429-0. Of course his injury recovery has to be accounted for here (in terms of both passing/rushing performance).

Something that this all makes me wonder is whether a combination of improved health and improved receivers can allow him to recover the better part of his 2012 fantasy value and stardom primarily through passing production. The article about Griffin not being a "robot" allows that Griffin could run on designed pass plays of course, and if he gets his legs back he may not need many rushing attempts to put up nice numbers. But it seems pretty relevant for projecting his possible comeback, especially if the team tries to protect him from too many hits.

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White Lightning said:

DAG said:

Faust said:

Jay Gruden: RGIII to run read option in 'sprinkles'

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

Jay Gruden still loves the read option, but the new Washington coach reiterated that he has no plans on making it the meat and potatoes of the Redskins' offense.

"We'll have sprinkles here and there," Gruden said in an interview with WSPZ-AM, per The Washington Post. "It's not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll."

As Gruden explains, the toll isn't just on quarterback Robert Griffin III being hit often -- which is an issue unto itself -- it also hurts a team's game planning.

"You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it," he said. "It kind of takes away from the defense's ability a little bit. It takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that.

"So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core dropback passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option."

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Gruden ran some of the better under-the-radar read option plays with quarterback Andy Dalton. Part of the success of those plays stemmed from defenses not being prepared for Dalton scampering. Another was the infrequency with which Gruden utilized the quarterback run.

Dalton is no RGIII, but sometimes you only need a sprinkle of a good thing to make the whole experience sweet.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks out the crystal ball and predicts the potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

This is interesting. A pretty significant part of his rookie season value/production was tied to rushing (119-826-7). In 2012 he completed 65.65% of his passes for 3200-20-5. His 2012 completion percentage was 4th in the league, but his yardage was 22nd.Of course he struggled overall in 2013 and his fantasy value dipped, but his passing production actually held somewhat steady: 60.1 completion percentage (25th in the league, and he looked pretty bad at times, but there were some good QBs in this percentage range like Luck and Brady); his yards held steady at 3203 (19th in the league) his passing TDs were close (16) and his interceptions went way up (12). But his rushing totals dropped to 86-429-0. Of course his injury recovery has to be accounted for here (in terms of both passing/rushing performance).

Something that this all makes me wonder is whether a combination of improved health and improved receivers can allow him to recover the better part of his 2012 fantasy value and stardom primarily through passing production. The article about Griffin not being a "robot" allows that Griffin could run on designed pass plays of course, and if he gets his legs back he may not need many rushing attempts to put up nice numbers. But it seems pretty relevant for projecting his possible comeback, especially if the team tries to protect him from too many hits.

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Good post and thanks for throwing a little water on my RGIII love fest. I am assuming RGIII's running numbers fall somewhere in between 2012 and 2013, and I'm not positive that he will make those numbers up through the air. But as long as RGIII ADP remains in the 6-7 round, I think the new system, improved weapons, and improved health/technique will result in a big year.

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JohnnyU said:

Due to his playing style I would say pain is ahead for RG3.

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ImTheScientist said:

'Snotbubbles said:

Don't think his body will hold up to the physical demands of the NFL.

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That was my opinion from Day 1. He is an amazing talent but his frame can't take the pounding.

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Dondante said:

Bobby Three Sticks' ego is going to get him nuked. He's a hell of a talent and I enjoy watching him play when he's on, but he's never going to be big enough to play the way he wants to.

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ImTheScientist said:

Dondante said:

Bobby Three Sticks' ego is going to get him nuked. He's a hell of a talent and I enjoy watching him play when he's on, but he's never going to be big enough to play the way he wants to.

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Still looks like he has lost a step since his injury....which isn't good for someone who makes one read and takes off if the first read is covered. I actually think they would be better off trading him .... Cousins is better fit for Grudens system.

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