If RG3 played for the Cowboys, he’d probably look nothing like this. (USA TODAY Sports)
Robert Griffin III playing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015?
It seems like an absurd premise. There’s no way that the franchise quarterback of the Washington Redskins, the one they gave up three first round picks and a second round one to draft in 2012, could end up becoming a starting quarterback for their rivals in Dallas at some point, right? Right?
While it’s hard to imagine that Dan Snyder would let the one-time future of the team take on that role with a hated division rival, it would also make very little sense for Washington to hang on to a player who could potentially be worth more in return than on their bench.
Just as the idea of DeSean Jackson returning to Philadelphia as a member of the Redskins this season would have seemed implausible during Week 4 one year ago, there would need to be a bit of a perfect storm for Griffin to end up in Dallas at this time in 2015.
That said, it’s not as completely insane of an idea as it once might have been. It certainly wouldn’t be the optimal future scenario for either team at the moment. But if the following steps were to happen, it might not be as far-fetched as it might seem either.
1) Kirk Cousins has a Pro Bowl season with the Redskins in 2014
(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)
He’s only been in two games this year, but Griffin’s backup may not hold that title much longer if he keeps playing the way he’s been. Cousins ranks fourth in QB rating among passers who’ve attempted more than 50 throws so far this season, averaging 338.5 yards per game with six touchdowns and one interception. If Cousins can keep putting up those kinds of numbers, but more importantly, win enough of his next few games to keep the Redskins in the playoff hunt, it’ll be tough for head coach Jay Gruden to take the ball out of his hands when Griffin returns from injury in six weeks or so.
While Cousins continues to say that Washington is “Robert’s team,” that won’t be the case if he plays well enough to keep the former second overall pick on the bench. Cousins’ traditional drop-back style seems to be a better fit for Gruden’s offense anyway.
Since returning from a serious knee injury suffered in the 2012 NFC Wild Card game, Griffin has struggled to find the Pro Bowl form he amazed fans with as a rookie. If Cousins emerges as this year’s Nick Foles, putting together his own Pro Bowl campaign en route to an NFC playoff berth, the uncertain promise of Griffin doing that again someday becomes a less valuable commodity for the Redskins than it does for another team.
2) Dan Snyder gets on board
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Even if the Redskins’ quarterback situation gets to the point where Cousins makes clear sense as the team’s future at the position, team owner Dan Snyder might be challenging to convince otherwise. Snyder has been one of Griffin’s biggest advocates and isn’t exactly the most easy person to convince to change course in his line of thinking. Whether it’s to the Cowboys or some other team, team president Bruce Allen and coach Jay Gruden are going to have to be pretty persuasive that getting a return on the guy the team gave up three first-rounders for three years earlier is now in the franchise’s best interest.
3) Tony Romo’s back problems get even worse
(Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)
The 34-year-old Dallas Cowboys quarterback, who is coming off multiple back surgeries, missed a Wednesday practice for the second week in a row due to tightness in that repaired area. While he played his best game of the season against the Rams in Week 3, Romo has struggled so far this year, leading to questions about just how healthy he actually is.
Romo’s toughness is admirable, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where that kind of debilitating injury fully heals as he progresses into his late thirties. Owner and GM Jerry Jones continues to support the quarterback he gave a six year, $108 million extension to last season, even though he had to be stopped by others in the Cowboys front office from drafting Johnny Manziel with the team’s first round pick in May.
If Romo’s back issues get so bad that he’s unable to make it through the season, a retirement or potential release in the offseason suddenly becomes a possibility. The latter could certainly prove problematic, as the remaining cap charges from restructuring Romo’s deal this offseason would actually cost the Cowboys almost $10 million more against the team’s 2015 salary cap than having him on the roster would.
But if Romo’s back is so messed up that he can’t continue to play at even an average level, the team is going to need to get a successor in there at some point. Current backup Brandon Weeden is not that guy.
4) How many franchise quarterbacks are in the 2015 draft class?
(Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports)
With Heisman winner Jameis Winston seemingly behaving his way out of the first round next May, UCLA’s Brett Hundley and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota both look to be the only surefire top QB prospects in the 2015 class right now.
It’s certainly early enough for other top prospects to emerge, but with Tampa Bay, Houston and St. Louis possibly looking that direction with their first round selections next year, the chance of the Cowboys landing a rookie quarterback who could start in Week 1 if needed could be slim given the competition for those two guys.
And while Griffin’s injury history is problematic, at 25, he’d still likely have more upside than any quarterback beyond Mariota and Hundley (and potentially Winston if he gets his act together).
5) The Jerry Jones factor
(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Last week the Washington Post sought to determine what Griffin’s trade value would be after this season, asking a front-office executive with an AFC team to weigh in.
Asked whether the Redskins could get a first-round pick for Griffin after this season, the executive said: “That’s debatable. I’d lean toward ‘no’ but it’s not totally out of the question. You worry about the injuries. But look at the quarterbacks who went in the first round this year [Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles, Cleveland’s Johnny Manziel and Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater]. None of them is starting right now. If you need a quarterback, would trading your [first-round] pick for Robert Griffin be any riskier for you than taking a guy like that?”
The executive also said: “Look around the league at who’s starting right now. 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.”
That explanation could certainly make an argument for or against any likelihood of Griffin landing in Dallas.
The most dominant one against it would be that the team would have enough other offers that they would certainly be able to choose to send him to a team that they wouldn’t have to face twice a year. The prospect of a healthy and rejuvenated Griffin tormenting the Redskins for a decade could be enough to make them determined to send him to an AFC team, regardless of the return price.
(USA TODAY Sports)
But we’re also talking about Jerry Jones here. Jones got a good look at Griffin during his 2012 rookie year, especially during Week 17 as the Redskins kept the Cowboys from winning the NFC East. Despite his recent injury woes, Griffin would have a brand name appeal for a franchise and owner who certainly isn’t opposed to that sort of thing.
Griffin grew up less than three hours south of AT&T Stadium and has his own statue in front of Baylor’s new facility, which is just 100 miles away. If the Cowboys offered significantly more in return than any other possible suitor (let’s say their 2015 first-round pick and their 2015 and 2016 second-round picks), would that be enough to convince Snyder and team president Bruce Allen to risk sending him within their division? Considering Griffin is only under contract through 2015, with a team option for 2016, it’s hard to see why not.
There are enough potential circumstances to prevent the above steps from ever happening, the most likely being that Griffin gets another chance to reclaim the starting job once his ankle heals. But it’s certainly an intriguing scenario to think about, isn’t it Cowboys fans?
