Assessing the trade market for RG III
September, 17
By Joe Kaiser | ESPN
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nfl/rumors/post?id=24480
Robert Griffin III’s dislocated left ankle didn’t require surgery but is expected to keep him sidelined for a good chunk of time, and if Kirk Cousins continues to play like he did in Week 2 then Griffin’s days in Washington could effectively be over.
What, then, might the Redskins be able to get on the trade market for the No. 2 overall pick in 2012 after Griffin’s two-plus injury-plagued seasons? Lets take a look.
Mark Maske wrote about where things currently stand in The Washington Post on Tuesday:
“As those in and around the sport view the Griffin-Cousins dynamic from afar, they see Griffin as a still-gifted but injury-plagued quarterback whose ability to stay in the lineup now must be seriously questioned by the Redskins — or any other team that ultimately might try to obtain him,” Maske wrote.
“The unsettled situation in Washington has created the possibility that Griffin may be most valuable to the franchise as a trade asset. And if the Redskins eventually decide to keep Cousins and consider offers to part with Griffin, sources in and around the league say there certainly will be teams interested and willing to surrender something of value for him.”
Griffin and Cousins are both under contract through the 2015 season, and the Redskins have a team option on Griffin for 2016, so they don’t necessarily need to make a move anytime soon. The decision whether to deal Griffin, who they traded three first-round picks and a second-rounder to St. Louis to move up and get on draft day, could ultimately depend on two things:
1. How well Cousins plays as the starter
2. What type of asset(s) the Redskins can fetch for Griffin
If Cousins plays well and Griffin is able to fully overcome his latest injury, there are several teams around the league that could conceivably be interested in RG III. “Look around the league at who’s starting right now,” a league executive told The Washington Post. “Josh McCown is a starter. Chad Henne is a starter. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith, Jake Locker, the kid [rookie Derek Carr] in Oakland, the situation in St. Louis [Austin Davis started last weekend with Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill injured]. You can’t tell me Robert Griffin can’t be a starter somewhere.”
Many of those teams listed, however, already have their quarterback of the future waiting in the wings. With that in mind, and this is merely speculation, look for teams like Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Houston to emerge as the likeliest suitors in trade talks for RG III. While the Redskins would likely seek a first-round pick in return, one must believe a second- or third-rounder would probably be more realistic at this point.
.
