Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: RGIII, Bryant, Murray, Jets, Bills

December 15th, 2014 at 8:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite reports that he doesn’t have confidence in quarterback Robert Griffin III, Washington coach Jay Gruden says he’s confident that RGIII has a high ceiling, writes Mike Jones of The Washington Post. “No, he is 24 years old and he is still learning,” Gruden said of Griffin, who will return to the starting lineup on Saturday against the Eagles. “I don’t think we can really judge his future right now based on what he has done. I think it’s a continuing process and we just all want to see him try to get better every week. And, you know, hopefully he will do that this week and we will see some progress from last week from the three quarters that he played this week, moving forward. It’s important for our offense to rally around him and play well around him also. So the big thing we want, consistency out of the position and then some improvement.” More from the East divisions..

Cowboys stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray have excelled this season as they approach the opportunity to test the open market. To owner Jerry Jones, that’s a good problem, writes Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. “You know the antithesis of that would be to be sitting here with them needing contracts and be sitting here with about three wins. I love this problem. I liked it back in the early ’90s and I love it today,” Jones said.
With Marcus Mariota seemingly out of reach for the Jets, Brian Costello of the New York Post looks at the rest of the team’s quarterback options. The Browns’ Brian Hoyer is a potential free agent option and Mark Sanchez will be among the top available QBs, even though his return might not excite Jets fans. The Jets could also take Michigan State’s Connor Cook or UCLA’s Brett Hundley in the middle rounds and try to develop them, but they likely won’t help the team in 2015.
After getting cut by Washington and going through several workouts that didn’t lead to a deal, safety Bacarri Rambo now finds himself as a contributor on the Bills‘ defense, writes Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

East Notes: Revis, Briles, Cowboys

December 7th, 2014 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots will have a big decision to make regarding the future of star cornerback Darrelle Revis this offseason, and Tom Curran and Mike Giardi of CSNNewEngland.com discuss in a video piece what that decision will entail. Although Revis has stated that he does not need to be the highest paid cornerback in the league to be happy, Curran and Giardi note that Revis is a shrewd businessman and that it will take a fair (read: highly-lucrative) offer to get a deal done.

Let’s take a look at a few more items from the league’s east divisions:

In the same piece, Curran and Giardi examine how the Patriots might negotiate with injured linebacker Jerod Mayo. They note that New England may approach Mayo with an incentive-laden offer based upon health, which was the team’s strategy when negotiating with Vince Wilfork.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that losing Aaron Dobson for the season serves as yet another reminder of how difficult it has been for the Patriots to draft and develop quality receiving talent under Bill Belichick (though Belichick has usually done more than enough to compensate for that deficiency in other ways).
In a piece that will probably surprise no one, ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that Jets GM John Idzik has alienated members of his coaching staff and front office, further fueling the belief that the team’s administration will undergo a complete overhaul in the offseason.
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report notes (via Twitter) that if Washington fires first-year head coach Jay Gruden after the 2014 season (as PFR’s Rob DiRe discussed last night), the team should pursue current Baylor University head coach Art Briles, whose offense would mesh well with Robert Griffin III‘s skillset. Albert Breer of the NFL Network, however, tweets that it would be a “shocker” if Briles were to leave Texas.
Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com describes how the Cowboys might go about manipulating their salary cap in order to create enough room to retain Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, and Rolando McClain, but he notes that the player Dallas should really focus on is right tackle Doug Free.

Organization May Side With Robert Griffin III

December 6th, 2014 at 7:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

The rift between Washington head coach Jay Gruden and franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III has been widely reported on. Since Gruden benched Griffin in favor of Colt McCoy, speculation about the former first-round pick’s future has taken him down many paths.

If the choice is left to Gruden, Griffin may very well be on his way out in Washington. Lucky for Griffin, it may not be Gruden’s choice. The leaders in the organization including owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen may be leaning to towards siding with Griffin over Gruden, given the choice, writes Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

The leadership group has not given up on their young quarterback, but Gruden seems to be committed to moving on from the embattled 24-year old passer. In Reid’s report, he writes that if Allen and Snyder decide the team will continue with Griffin as the starter, that Gruden could be fired after one year. That would leave the team responsible for the final four years of his five-year guaranteed deal, on top of hiring a new coach and starting over again 2015.

Allen is in a tough position with this decision, as he was the general manager to oversee both the trade to acquire Griffin in 2012. On the other hand, Allen also hired Gruden, and in a way, his legacy with Washington is tied to the success of both. Firing Gruden after one year would reflect poorly on him, but trading Griffin for pennies after giving up so much to move up and take him three years ago would be damning as well. Of course, the best way for Allen to protect his job is if either way, the decision he has to make this offseason lead to a winning season in 2015 and going forward.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Cards, Lions

December 6th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now focus on notes from the NFC…

If the Panthers get a top-10 pick, David Newton believes the team will use their selection on an offensive tackle, a defensive back or a defensive lineman. When asked if the team would trade back for multiple assets, Newton says that “quality will be more important than quantity.”
Josh Weinfuss isn’t convinced the Cardinals will re-sign linebacker Sam Acho, stating that the team should be able to find an adequate replacement. Meanwhile, the writer believes the team should try to retain Antonio Cromartie for a reasonable price.
If Lions wideout T.J. Jones continues to prove that he’s capable of a bigger role, Ryan Broyles could ultimately find himself without a job, writes Michael Rothstein.
Ben Goessling is under the impression that Adrian Peterson will not be playing for the Vikings next season. Instead, he believes the team will go with Jerick McKinnon as their primary running back while pursuing a running back later in the draft.
John Keim says the league’s new CBA, which limits the interaction between players and coaches during the offseason, hurts the development of any young quarterback (including Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III).

NFC Notes: Suh, Peterson, RGIII, Hardy

December 4th, 2014 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy signed the richest contract ever for a player at his position two months ago and he’s rooting for Lions pending free agent Ndamukong Suh to shatter that figure, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I hope he breaks the bank,” McCoy said. “He’s an awesome player, an all-pro, Pro Bowl player. Was Rookie of the Year. Just a dominating force since he’s been in the league. Everything that’s coming to him, he deserves it.” More from the NFC..

There has been no settlement reached in the Adrian Peterson appeal yet, so the hearing went on as planned today, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The hearing for the Vikings running back wrapped up around 3:20 CT (link).
There’s a “real chance” Robert Griffin III will be Washington‘s starting QB before this season is over, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). A report earlier today indicated that coach Jay Gruden wants the team to get rid of RGIII in the offseason.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher is most certainly telling the truth when he says that he doesn’t regret the 2012 blockbuster deal that sent the draft rights to RGIII to Washington, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t missed opportunities in that draft. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, of the 74 picks used before the Seahawks took quarterback Russell Wilson, the Rams had five of them. Instead, the Rams selected Michael Brockers, Brian Quick, Janoris Jenkins, Isaiah Pead, and Trumaine Johnson with those picks.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera had positive things to say after pending free agent Greg Hardy visited with some of his teammates on Saturday. “He looks good. He looks like he’s fit and in shape,” Rivera said, according to Bill Voth of Black And Blue Review. “I had a chance to say hello, talk a little bit. Between he and I, it was a nice conversation. He’s trying to keep himself busy, and he’s just waiting to find out what his situation and circumstances are going to be.” Still, given Hardy’s baggage, it’s unclear if there’s a future for him in Carolina.

Gruden Wants RGIII Out Of Washington

December 4th, 2014 at 6:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Washington coach Jay Gruden made waves when he was critical of Robert Griffin III earlier this year and there were more than a few eye rolls when he walked back those comments soon after. According to Jason Reid of The Washington Post, if it were up to Gruden, Washington would take whatever it could get for RGIII in a trade this offseason.

This season, Gruden feels that he has seen enough to realize that Griffin is, at best, a long-term project as a pocket passer. The coach believes that he displayed poor footwork and had an alarming lack of pocket presence for a signal-caller in his third season. Beyond that, Gruden has told team officials that he has major concerns about Griffin’s decision making off the field. After working with RGIII for more than 10 months, Gruden has made it clear that he is done with him, multiple people within the organization told Reid.

Still, that’s not an easy call for owner Dan Snyder and GM Bruce Allen, as they had key roles in the decision to trade four high-round draft picks for the pick to select Griffin. Reid speculates that Gruden could deal with having Griffin on the roster as a backup next season, but it’s difficult to envision the former No. 2 overall pick signing up for that. If Gruden is is truly adamant about moving on from Griffin, this could be a very interesting offseason to watch in D.C.

King’s Latest: Rice, NFLPA, Manziel, RGIII

December 1st, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King takes a look at many of Sunday’s more noteworthy games, and also touches on several other topics of interest. Here are the highlights from King’s newest piece:

Two NFL general managers who spoke to King had no interest in signing Ray Rice themselves, but predict he’ll be with a team in training camp in 2015. King believes there’s a very slim chance the running back signs anywhere in 2014, calling the Saints a long shot and the Colts a longer one. However, the executives who spoke to King think that the league’s other notable embattled running back, Adrian Peterson, is a much better bet to find work if and when the Vikings let him go, since his play hadn’t fallen off prior to his off-field troubles.
Although the NFL and NFL Players Association met last week to discuss the personal conduct policy, the league didn’t respond to the NFLPA’s written proposal on the policy, and the union isn’t happy about it. “They just want to meet with the union,” president Eric Winston said, “so they can say they got our input, and then do whatever they want.”
King would be “very surprised” if Johnny Manziel doesn’t get the chance to start next Sunday for the Browns against Indianapolis, though he views it as an “all-hands-on-deck game,” with Brian Hoyer ready to be called on at any time
In King’s view, Washington needs to play Robert Griffin III before the end of the season, either to decide whether to keep him or to showcase him for a potential trade. However, Colt McCoy‘s solid play yesterday will keep RGIII on the bench for at least another week..
King wrote back in June that Janay Rice “made a moving case for leniency” for her husband during Rice’s hearing with the NFL, but in the wake of Friday’s release from Judge Barbara Jones which suggested that wasn’t the case, King has retracted that report.

Sunday Roundup: Brees, Bucs, Revis

November 30th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he expects the Saints to draft a quarterback in the early rounds of the 2015 draft as they begin to prepare for life after Drew Brees. On top of Brees’ struggles this season, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Saints have watched the 35-year-old’s arm strength wane and therefore must be “prepared for the end.” Former agent Joel Corry, perhaps wondering if New Orleans would go so far as to release Brees after this season, tweets that the All-Pro carries a $26.4MM cap number for 2015 and the Saints have a league-high $161MM in 2015 cap commitments.

However, Rapoport notes (via Twitter) that releasing Brees after 2014 would create $15MM of dead money, a figure that becomes much more palatable if he were to be released following the 2015 season. As such, Rapoport believes it would be better for the Saints to simply draft Brees’ heir apparent and allow him to learn from Brees for at least one season.

Others, though, are more skeptical of Brees’ demise and of the Saints’ ability to draft a suitable replacement in short order. In a pair of tweets, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints may well draft a quarterback this season, but the team does not feel as though Brees is in a steep decline, that a rookie would have to wait at least two years to be ready to lead the New Orleans offense, and that Brees has never relied on a big arm to be successful, so reports of diminished arm strength are not especially relevant. Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, meanwhile, tweets that the Saints will be hard-pressed to find their future quarterback in this year’s draft.

Now for a few more links from around the league:

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune says it is not too soon to accept that the Buccaneers made a mistake with their offseason signings of Anthony Collins and Michael Johnson, whose futures in Tampa Bay are now very much in doubt. Although the Bucs have a little more flexibility with Collins than with Johnson, who would be owed a $4MM roster bonus on March 1 in addition to a $5MM base salary in 2015 (of which $3MM is guaranteed), Tampa Bay could realistically cut both players outright. Regardless of what the Bucs do, they will likely seek upgrades at offensive tackle and defensive end via the draft rather than dive once more into the free agency pool.
Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald believes the Patriots should retain star cornerback Darrelle Revis, who has been a central figure of the team’s successful 2014 campaign, at all costs.
Tony Boselli, the former Jaguars great who was drafted by current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin when Coughlin was with Jacksonville, says that the Jaguars’ firing of Coughlin was a “huge mistake,” writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. Boselli believes the Giants would be similarly misguided if they were to fire Coughlin without allowing him to coach through the end of his contract, which expires after the 2015 season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Washington has not spoken with Robert Griffin III regarding his fifth-year option. Although a decision does not have to be made on that option until May, it does not appear as though the team will exercise it at this point.
Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that 49ers DB Perrish Cox, who is in a contract year, has signed with agent David Mulugheta.
Though we heard earlier today from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Jets and Raiders were interested in pursuing 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh via trade after the season, Schefter does note that some in the organization believe the team could still work out an extension with Harbaugh.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Rams have improved under Jeff Fisher and appear to be on the cusp of being a competitive club, but the histories of Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer suggest that St. Louis, which has primarily utilized a conservative ball control offense, will not take the next step unless it somehow lands an elite quarterback.

La Canfora’s Latest: 49ers, Saints, RGIII

November 30th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Rory Parks

It is almost a foregone conclusion that 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be prowling the San Francisco sidelines after the 2014 season. Although much of the talk concerning the 49ers’ head coaching situation has centered around Harbaugh’s next destination, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examines how the team might go about replacing its successful but polarizing general.

Although Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be a logical external candidate, La Canfora writes that the 49ers plan to thoroughly evaluate their internal options and that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would be at the top of the team’s list. Both men have done an exceptional job during their tenure with the club, and 2014 might represent their high-water mark as coaches, given that the 49ers’ defense has thrived in the midst of injuries to some of its best players.

Tomsula is a personal favorite of owner Jed York, and both he and Fangio are expected to receive interest from other clubs looking to fill head coaching positions. However, the team would like to keep as much of its talented defensive staff in place as possible, particularly since Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are expected to follow Harbaugh wherever he goes. Hiring Tomsula or Fangio would also mesh with San Francisco’s preferred operating procedure, as it would be out of character for the team to attempt to attract a big-name, big-money coach from outside the organization.

Let’s take a look at some other relevant issues that La Canfora has touched on this morning:

La Canfora writes that there is a growing rift between Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and that the team is expected to find a new defensive coordinator–which would be its fifth in Payton’s nine-year tenure–after the season. Citing an unnamed source, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that La Canfora’s report is “very accurate,” although Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that he has not heard about the friction between Payton and Ryan.
La Canfora tweets that he expects “substantial change” on the Saints and 49ers rosters after this season given the teams’ high salary cap numbers and large salaries.
If Washington were to try to trade quarterback Robert Griffin III after the season, La Canfora writes that the team is unlikely to get more than a third round pick for him.
We learned earlier today that the Ravens are expected to reward Justin Forsett with a multiyear deal after this season, but La Canfora notes that Forsett’s contract prevents him from signing an in-season extension if Baltimore were inclined to lock him up sooner. As former agent Joel Corry tweets, Forsett’s age (30) will limit the size of his contract, despite his “low mileage.”
Although the Colts have stated they do not have interest in bringing Ray Rice aboard, La Canfora wonders if the team’s need at running back and Rice’s relationship with head coach Chuck Pagano will be enough for them to change their stance.

Washington Not Giving Up On Robert Griffin III

November 29th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Washington’s head coach Jay Gruden has decided to start backup Colt McCoy over Robert Griffin III this weekend against the Colts, leading to increased speculation about whether or not RGIII has a future with the team. Griffin’s play over the past few weeks since returning from a dislocating ankle has been frustrating at best.

Still, despite his performance, the fan base and Washington media has seemed desperate to replace Griffin since last season. The team spent the offseason hearing that Gruden preferred Kirk Cousins over Griffin, with many fans and media personalities believing Cousins could prove to be the better option.

The unrest only swelled after Griffin went down early in a game against the Jaguars in Week 2, where Cousins came in and had a huge day, leading to a 41-10 victory that serves as one of the few bright spots of the season.

Cousins was lauded for his talent, and Griffin was all but written off as injury prone and underwhelming, before Cousins quickly played his way out of the lineup with a horrible stretch of quarterback play. McCoy then took over the role of quarterback savior after beating the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Griffin’s return to the lineup once again produced poor results, and with McCoy taking over as the starter once again, Griffin’s future with the team is now in doubt. Many have considered that Washington would seek to trade him this offseason, or move on from him altogether by simply releasing him.

The rift between Griffin and Gruden does not necessarily mark the end for the pairing. Gruden says this most recent benching will have no influence on the long-term plan at quarterback, but that he is just looking to play the best quarterback for this game, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter).

Griffin’s time on the bench could last just one game, or go through the end of the season. Either way, Griffin will once again open next season as the frontrunner to start in Washington, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio writes that while many pundits believe any optimism left in the organization for RGIII to return to his 2012 performance is only hot air to try to build his trade value, the team truly does plan to keep him around.

Gruden wants Griffin to get better, and first he must get healthier. This time on the bench could give Griffin a chance to do both, and hopefully a healthy 2015 season will go a long way to repairing his value as a franchise quarterback in Washington.