Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Bucs, Byrd, Brooks

September 6th, 2015 at 10:07am CST by Rory Parks

After taking a peek at a few AFC notes this morning, let’s have a look at some NFC links in advance of today’s flurry of waiver claims and practice squad news:

The Buccaneers are first in line to claim players waived by the 31 other teams in the league, and Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times says one position where the Bucs will likely add a player is defensive end. After placing Larry English on injured reserve and cutting backups Lawrence Sidbury and rookie Ryan Delaire, Tampa Bay currently has only three defensive ends on its roster.
We learned yesterday that Saints safety Jairus Byrd had avoided the regular season PUP list, meaning that he is eligible to play immediately when he is medically ready. As Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune observes, it is still unclear as to exactly when Byrd will be back, but the fact that he is on the 53-man roster indicates that he could be ready to go soon.
Ahmad Brooks will remain on the 49ers‘ 53-man roster as the league continues to monitor his criminal case, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Head coach Jim Tomsula said he expects Brooks to play next week’s season opener, and the NFL issued a statement stating that it was not appropriate to place Brooks on the Commissioner’s Exempt List at this time.
John Keim of ESPN.com takes a closer look at some of the fallout from the Robert Griffin III drama in Washington. Keim notes that not everyone in the organization believes in Kirk Cousins, and Griffin’s biggest fan is team owner Dan Snyder. If Cousins gives Snyder a reason to believe in him, then Griffin may be traded or released. But if Cousins struggles, and there is plenty of reason to believe he will, the possible tension between ownership and the rest of Washington’s brass may be further illuminated.
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com looks at five Washington starting jobs that could change hands this season, including quarterback (obviously), left guard, and strong safety.
If he goes unclaimed on waivers, the Eagles will definitely sign RB Raheem Mostert to their practice squad, according to Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).
The Lions, meanwhile, plan to sign Andrew Peacock to their practice squad today, according to a tweet from Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press. Peacock cleared waivers last week.

Washington Planning To Keep RGIII As Backup

September 5th, 2015 at 8:18am CST by Ben Levine

Despite recently suffering a third-career concussion and falling out of favor with the Washington coaching staff, it sounds like the organization is planning on keeping Robert Griffin III. According to Liz Clarke and Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Washington will keep the former second-overall pick as a backup, with a source telling the writers that, “[h]e’s on our team.”

The former Heisman winner suffered a concussion against the Lions of August 20th, and a week later he was cleared to play. However, the independent neurologist changed his decision, deciding to approach the situation with caution. According to the Post, that neurologist has since “resigned from the neurological consultant program operated by the league.” He will continue to determine RGIII’s playing status.

As the 4 p.m. roster deadline quickly approaches, the organization would surely like more definitive information on the quarterback. Coach Jay Gruden said Griffin was being retested on Friday, and NFL rules say the team can’t cut or trade the quarterback until he’s medically cleared.

The writers expect Griffin to fall to third on the quarterback depth chart, behind started Kirk Cousins and journeyman Colt McCoy.

In nine games last season, Griffin finished with 1,694 passing yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. He added 176 yards rushing.

Washington Notes: RGIII, Williams, Roberts

September 1st, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While Washington’s decision to name Kirk Cousins as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2015 season has been viewed as a signal that Robert Griffin III‘s time in D.C. is coming to an end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk makes the case for why it makes some sense for the club to keep him on the roster. As Florio writes, Cousins and Colt McCoy aren’t exactly the safest QB duo in the league, and RGIII’s salary isn’t exorbitant for a backup.

Still, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports observes, the RGIII era in Washington seems likely to come to an end by next February, with the club likely cutting him in the new year or sooner. Here’s more on the former No. 2 overall pick, along with a couple more Washington-related notes:

Robinson and Peter King of TheMMQB.com both look ahead and attempt to identify an ideal landing spot for Griffin after he and Washington officially go their separate ways. In Robinson’s view, the Chiefs are the best fit for RGIII, while King cites the Seahawks and Cardinals as logical potential suitors.
Although most observers don’t believe Washington would be able to trade Griffin, it may be possible if the quarterback is willing to renegotiate his 2016 option year to remove the injury-only guarantee, writes former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Of course, as Corry acknowledges, Washington still wouldn’t be able to get much in return for the 25-year-old.
$30MM of Trent Williams‘ five-year, $66MM contract extension with Washington is fully guaranteed at signing, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Corry adds that the team, having used a signing/option bonus structure on the deal, will pick up $3.55MM in cap room for the 2015 season.
In his latest mailbag for the Washington Post, Mike Jones fields questions about Washington’s outside linebackers, Andre Roberts‘ role, and – of course – the quarterback situation.

Washington Names Kirk Cousins Starting QB

August 31st, 2015 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

11:42am: Speaking today to reporters, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link), head coach Jay Gruden confirmed that Cousins will be Washington’s starting quarterback not just for Week 1, but for the 2015 season.

Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network tweets that Griffin’s camp may be caught off guard by this announcement, since they were led to believe Cousins starting Week 1 was a result of RGIII’s health, and the concussion protocol.

9:48am: With Robert Griffin III‘s health and long-term future in Washington in flux, the club has named Kirk Cousins its starting quarterback for Week 1, a source tells Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Russini, the team was informed by Washington staff this morning that Cousins will be the starter against the Dolphins.

The news comes on the heels of a Sunday report which indicated that a contingent of the Washington front office wants to move on from RGIII. While that report suggested that team ownership was opposed to a Griffin trade, Mike Jones of the Washington Post hears from two sources that Daniel Snyder isn’t blocking his front office and coaching staff from dealing the quarterback. A trade is unlikely for a handful of other factors though, including RGIII’s contract and his injury history. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that there have been no trade talks involving the QB.

Whatever the future holds for Griffin, he won’t be starting Washington’s Week 1 game, as Cousins has been penciled in for that role after a solid showing in the team’s preseason contest this past weekend. The former fourth-round pick, who turned 27 earlier this month, has nine career starts on his NFL resume, having played in 14 games in total. In his limited regular season action, Cousins has thrown more interceptions (19) than touchdowns (18), with a 59.0% completion percentage.

If Cousins struggles in the starting role and Griffin is unable to return to action, Colt McCoy would be the next man up in Washington. Both Cousins and McCoy are eligible for free agency after this season, while Washington still holds an option year on Griffin, currently guaranteed for injury only.

Latest On Robert Griffin III

August 30th, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A contingent of Washington front office executives and coaches want to move on from quarterback Robert Griffin III, but club ownership is squashing any efforts to get rid of the mercurial signal-caller, according to Adam Schefter and Dianne Marie Russini of ESPN. Washington has even had several conversations with other clubs about trading RGIII, but haven’t found any interest.

The main barrier to a trade, per the ESPN scribes, is Griffin’s contract, which calls for him to earn about $6.72MM in 2015 (an acquiring team would only be responsible for his base salary of about $3.27MM) and $16.1MM in 2016 (guaranteed for injury only). Given RGIII’s injury lengthy injury history, it’s not surprising that other teams would shy away from a potential deal given that an injury guarantee is involved. Moreover, it’s unclear whether Washington ownership would even allow the team’s executives to move forward with a Griffin trade, if one were on the table.

Because of that onerous contract, Washington has no interest in inserting Griffin into a game, per Schefter and Russini. Griffin is currently dealing with a concussion, and given that a club can’t cut an injured player, Washington doesn’t want to play Griffin and risk further injury. Plus, if RGIII suffered a major injury, his 2016 guarantee would kick in, further locking him in Washington. Therefore, Griffin is not expected to be the team’s starting quarterback, meaning that Kirk Cousins looks to be the team’s No. 1 QB.

Latest On Washington’s QB Dilemma

August 30th, 2015 at 8:30am CST by Rory Parks

Kirk Cousins got the surprise start in last night’s preseason game against Baltimore after Robert Griffin III, the presumptive starter heading into the season, was deemed medically unready to play by an independent neurologist. In a series of tweets, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports passes on a few notes on the matter from Washington head coach Jay Gruden.

First, Gruden noted that the team had originally received a verbal report from an independent doctor that Griffin was cleared to play, and then it received an email report that contradicted the verbal and that compelled the club to make a sudden change within a 24-hour window. Also, despite an earlier report that Washington had already determined Cousins would be the Week 1 starter, Gruden stated that he would not announce anything until he had reviewed Griffin’s medicals. Per Mike Jones of The Washington Post (via Twitter), Griffin will receive further tests on Friday, and Jones added in a separate tweet that Gruden, GM Scot McCloughan, team president Bruce Allen, and owner Dan Snyder would have a “long talk” at some point in the near future to finalize Washington’s plans under center.

But even though Gruden would not announce a Week 1 starter last night, the fact that he would not commit to starting Griffin even if RGIII has been cleared to return is significant in and of itself, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. John Keim of ESPN.com agrees, pointing out that Cousins was far from perfect in last night’s game, but that he did more than enough to reignite the quarterback controversy in Washington.

It looks like we won’t have a formal announcement until sometime next week at the earliest, but at the moment, Cousins seems to have the inside track on the starting job for Week 1. What happens beyond that is anyone’s guess.

NFC Notes: Griffin, Brown, Panthers

August 29th, 2015 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although it’s at least distracted the NFL lexicon from the drama surrounding its quarterback situation in signing Trent Williams to a record extension, Washington‘s issues with the player Williams primarily protects remain.

According to the NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington (on Twitter), Robert Griffin III does not believe he sustained a concussion last week.

This comes after NFL independent neurologist, Robert N. Kurtzke, reversed an initial ruling deeming Griffin unfit to play and leading to Jay Gruden ruling him out of tonight’s preseason game. Thursday, Washington announced Griffin was cleared to resume work. Now, the fourth-year quarterback’s timeline has been delayed by “one to two” weeks until further re-evaluation occurs.

Darlington also notes (Twitter link) that sources dispute Washington’s depiction of when Kurtzke examined Griffin before tweeting the former Heisman Trophy winner’s camp does not believe the team is using the concussion as an excuse to bench him.

Despite the team picking up Griffin’s fifth-year option, this marriage is on the verge of careening into chaos before the signal-caller begins Year 4.

Here is some other news from the NFC.

Washington doesn’t have many options regarding Griffin after picking up his 2016 option, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. The NFL economics expert offers that if Griffin was serious about leaving Washington he’d negotiate an Aldon Smith-type contract loaded with incentives instead of a flat $16.15MM due next year. But even in this seemingly toxic environment, would leaving $16MM+ on the table with the odds he’ll ever earn that in a season again dwindling be a prudent move? Should Griffin be open to negotiating here, Fitzgerald sees the Bills or Jets discussing a trade for the embattled quarterback, who will make $3.7MM this season.
Contrary to what we heard earlier regarding Stevie Brown‘s potential reunion with the Giants, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets the recently released safety won’t work out for any team, as he has multiple offers in hand. Conflicting reports aside, the Giants figure to be a likely landing spot for the sixth-year defensive back.
Entering last season as the Packers’ No. 3 receiver, Jarrett Boykin may be on the verge of being cut in Carolina, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Panthers coaches seem to prefer Brenton Bersin, an undrafted free agent in 2012 who made 13 receptions for 151 yards last season in Carolina, over Boykin. The Panthers signed Boykin to a one-year deal in May.

NFC Notes: RGIII, Packers, Saints

August 29th, 2015 at 11:46am CST by Ben Levine

The Packers will have some work to do in the next couple of weeks as they look to reduce their current 88-man roster to 53. Even though they need to trim a third of their preseason roster, general manager Ted Thompson told Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com that he’ll still be eyeing the waiver wire prior to the regular season.

“We look, like everybody else,” Thompson said. “We do a lot of that work and we do it every week, so it’s non-stop because games are played on Monday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday, so it’s non-stop. We’re always trying to catch up.”

“It could be guys that you would potential consider trading for or putting in a claim for or that sort of thing. It runs the gamut because you’re kind of guessing what the home team, so to speak, wants to do with a player. The home team might love this player and you know you’re not going to get your hands on him, so you move on. At the same time, you find guys from time to time where the teams aren’t quite as attached to.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…

Washington general manager Scot McCloughan is “determined to change [the] team culture,” reports ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter). Those changes would include moving on from quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Kirk Cousins may not only be starting this evening’s preseason game for Washington, as ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini tweets that the plan is to have the former fourth-rounder start Week 1.
Evan Woodbury of NOLA.com writes that wideout Willie Snead‘s strong preseason has put the player in a position to make the Saints. “I think he’s done well. He’s very competitive. He’s got some real good football instincts,” said coach Sean Payton. “He’s right there in the thick of it, competing for playing time, competing for a roster spot. He made a couple of plays tonight. He’s doing a good job.”
Drew Brees‘ role as the Saints number-one quarterback is obviously safe, and rookie Garrett Grayson seems to have a solid hold on the number-three spot. That leaves Luke McCown and Ryan Griffin competing for the backup spot, and Woodbury writes that McCown appears to be leading the competition.
Former Canisius power forward Chris Manhertz is trying to catch on with the Saints as a tight end, and Brett Martel of the Associated Press writes that the former Bills project is using Jimmy Graham (a former basketball player) as inspiration. “Absolutely,” Manhertz said. “It’s really amazing to see how smoothly (Graham) made the transition and where he’s at now, and playing at a high level.”

Poll: Will Robert Griffin III Be The Starter In Washington?

August 28th, 2015 at 9:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

Despite suffering a concussion in his preseason game against the Lions, Robert Griffin III was back on the practice field earlier this week, prepping for an important third preseason game against the Ravens.

After being underwhelming so far this offseason, and frankly ever since his rookie season, this matchup against the Ravens was becoming increasingly important to his long-term future in Washington. If he continued to struggle, especially into the regular season, it would make it easier for the coaching staff to see what they have in Kirk Cousins, who has been as popular as a backup quarterback could be to the fans in the city.

In a surprising twist, today an independent neurologist Robert N. Kurtzke disagreed with the decision that Griffin was ready to play, and instead recommended that he be held out of this weekend’s preseason action, according to Lindsay Murphy Guyer of Fox (via Twitter).

This reversal was followed with a storm of speculation and discussion surrounding the status of Griffin in Washington. There had already been rumors of him alienating teammates, not getting along with his offensive linemen, and clashing with his coaching staff.

This might not be a big deal elsewhere, other than that a starting quarterback was missing preseason action, but it is magnified in Washington because of the path Griffin’s career has taken. Cousins has pushed Griffin in the past, and despite a poor track record of individual success as a starter, often seems like the best alternative on the team.

If Griffin indeed misses the rest of the preseason, he will be starting Week 1 coming off two weeks of inconsistent play followed by two weeks of inactivity. That alone could be enough for head coach Jay Gruden to push Cousins into the starting lineup. Even if Griffin starts, his leash might have shortened due to this most recent injury, even if it isn’t his fault. The drama seems to follow him, and owner Daniel Snyder can’t protect him forever.

Griffin is still the starter for the beginning of the season until something changes, but Cousins will get an opportunity to work with the starters for an extended period of time and likely one or both of the remaining preseason games. Griffin’s job wasn’t secure to begin with, and this only shakes things up even more.

At this juncture, Griffin’s future in Washington looks even more bleak. Beyond 2015, it was questionable whether the team would stay with him without a bounce back year. Now, even his status for 2015 is in doubt. Without valuable preseason reps, Cousins is closer than ever to winning the starting job outright, and Griffin’s injury history suggests Cousins will start eventually anyway.

The question is, whether by coach’s decision or by injury, who will start more games at quarterback in Washington this season? Cast your vote in the poll and feel free to weigh in below in the comments section to explain your reasoning.

(direct link here)

NFC East Notes: RGIII, JPP, Randle, Beason

August 23rd, 2015 at 4:17pm CST by Rory Parks

Despite suffering a concussion during Thursday’s preseason game against the Lions, Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III participated fully in practice today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a rather quick turnaround for a player who had entered into the league’s concussion protocol just days ago. Per head coach Jay Gruden, Griffin was cleared for non-contact activity, and has shown no ill effects from his head injury (link).

Here’s more from Washington and the rest of the NFC East:

There has been some discussion as to whether the Giants should simply cut ties with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, but as Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, last night’s preseason game against Carolina serves as a clear reminder why New York has not done so. Without JPP, Vacchiano says, “it sure looks like the Giants can’t get near opposing quarterbacks at all.”
Receiver Rueben Randle, dealing with knee tenditis, might not be close to a return, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, including Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “This thing with Rueben has really confused me,” said Coughlin. Elsewhere on the nijury front, Coughlin said linebacker Jon Beason has a strained knee and is week-to-week, according to James Kratch of NJ.com.
In a full-length piece, Keim sees RB Trey Williams as the only undrafted free agent that has a legitimate chance to make Washington‘s 53-man roster, though Keim notes that Williams still has some work to do to earn that spot.
Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News examines the Cowboys‘ battle for the wide receiver spots behind Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley. Devin Street and Lucky Whitehead are the current favorites, but George notes that there is some intriguing talent behind those two.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.