Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Ingram, Bush, Giants

November 29th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening the mailbags and answering reader questions. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the NFC…

The Panthers could move on from DeAngelo Williams after the season, says David Newton. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stewart, who still has a couple of years left on his contract, is more likely to stick around.
Mike Triplett wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints let Mark Ingram walk and opted to utilize their running back depth instead.
It would make sense for the Lions to consider trading Reggie Bush if they were to receive a solid offer, writes Michael Rothstein. However, the writer believes Bush still has a place in the team’s offense, and he adds that it would be tough to move a 30-year-old running back.
Dan Graziano’s gut tells him that both Giants coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese will be safe following the season, but he warns that the final stretch of the season could ultimately determine their fate.
John Keim guesses that Washington could expect a third or fourth-rounder in exchange for Robert Griffin III. He expects a “low-rounder at best” for Kirk Cousins.

AFC East Links: Goodwin, Jets, Solder

November 29th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Ben Levine

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Bills wideout Marquise Goodwin. Following a rookie season where he caught 17 passes for 283 yards and three scores, the former third-rounder only has a single catch in 2014. Making matters worse is the team’s recent acquisition of return man Marcus Thigpen, making Goodwin’s role on the team even more unclear.

“I don’t like being inactive,” Goodwin said (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). “I don’t practice hard just to be an inactive. But it is what it is. If I don’t fit the game plan, I just don’t. I just do what I’m told, work hard and just try to help the team win in any way that I can.”

“It has been a humbling experience this whole year, coming from scoring a few touchdowns last season to having one reception right now and not really being able to help my team be victorious.”

Let’s see what else is going on in the AFC East…

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini believes Robert Griffin III would be a Percy Harvin-like fit for the Jets, and the writer suggests the team could take a flyer on the embattled quarterback. Cimini also looks at other quarterbacks the team could pursue, including Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford and Brian Hoyer.
Meanwhile, Cimini writes that the Jets may have to trade up in the draft to get one of Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. The team will have to hope they finish ahead of other quarterback-needing squads, particularly the Titans and Buccaneers.
Cimini thinks Percy Harvin could be back with the Jets next season, but not for the $10.5MM he’s owed. The writer says a renegotiation makes the most sense for both sides.
Mike Girardi of CSNNE.com sees the Patriots drafting a pass rusher in next year’s draft. They could also anticipate Nate Solder‘s expiring contract and draft an offensive tackle.

Robert Griffin III Notes: Wednesday

November 26th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who first reported last night that Washington would be making a quarterback change, head coach Jay Gruden informed his team this morning that Colt McCoy will start this Sunday instead of Robert Griffin III (Twitter link). In his initial report, Schefter suggested that the former second overall pick remains a “significant” part of Washington’s long-term plan, but it’s hard to imagine things turning around for RGIII and the club at this point. Here are today’s updates on Griffin:

Jason Reid of the Washington Post (Twitter link) calls any talk of Griffin being part of the team’s long-term plans “nonsense,” suggesting that club sources are merely trying to boost the signal-caller’s trade value.
The consensus among decision-makers who spoke to Albert Breer about RGIII’s trade value is that he’d be worth a mid-round pick — something like a third-rounder, plus change. One AFC executive told Breer that Washington would perhaps ask for a second-rounder and settle for a third or maybe a fourth. Another GM offered the following analogy: “He’s a car that’s been driven off the lot. Also, the dynamics of his contract drive price down at this stage” (all Twitter links).
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Bill Barnwell of Grantland each explore what’s next for Griffin, with Barnwell suggesting 10 potential suitors for the 24-year-old if and when Washington shops him in trade discussions. The 10 clubs identified by Barnwell are the Rams, Bills, Eagles, Buccaneers, Jets, Raiders, 49ers, Cardinals, Texans, and Titans.
While some Washington players feel bad for RGIII and others agree it was time for a change, the most common comment around the locker room is “this is a circus,” says Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington (Twitter link).
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at how Washington’s cap would be affected if the team keeps, trades, or cuts the third-year quarterback.

Extra Points: Washington, RGIII, NFLPA

November 25th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Zachary Links

So much for having “every intent” to keep Robert Griffin III as the starter. Washington is planning to start Colt McCoy over RGIII on Sunday at Indianapolis, a team source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Facebook). While Griffin is not a part of Washington’s plan for Sunday’s game, he still appears to be a significant part of the Redskins’ long-term plan, per another source. More from around the NFL as the speculation is sure to continue in the nation’s capital..

The Chargers are looking for a consensus from city business and civic leaders on their proposal to build a new stadium in San Diego, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. In the interim, the Chargers are keeping their options open because of what is happening in Los Angeles. The Rams and Raiders, of course, also have an eye on L.A.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association met Tuesday morning in New York to continue discussions about a revised personal conduct policy, as Jim Trotter of ESPN.com writes.
Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the NFLPA wants the option for players facing felony charges to be put on leave with NFL/NFLPA approval. Also, the union proposal would give a neutral arbitrator power to compel testimony from league and union officials (link).
Nothing Rex Ryan can do in the next five weeks will save his job as Jets coach, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.
Linebacker Rolando McClain has been too good and too valuable not to get an extension from the Cowboys, opines Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News.

Extra Points: Griffin, Glennon, DEA

November 23rd, 2014 at 9:19pm CST by Rob DiRe

Robert Griffin III has struggled since returning from injury this season, and Washington’s head coach Jay Gruden has the power to bench the former first-round pick, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. In the past, Griffin had been protected by ownership, but patience could be running thin within the organization.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

Speaking of quarterbacks getting benched, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times argues that the Buccaneers need to return Josh McCown to the sidelines. McCown is not playing well, and although Mike Glennon has failed to perform well either, the young quarterback at least deserves a chance to prove himself as the team’s starter.
The DEA has continued its investigation of NFL medical staffs this week, focusing on the alleged mishandling of prescription drugs, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Although the investigation is ongoing, there will likely not be any more post-game searches.
San Antonio is a long shot to obtain the Raiders from Oakland, but they will still attempt to lure an NFL franchise to their city, writes Tom Orsborn of ExpressNews.com.“I’ve seen stranger things happen when parties stay in the game. If staying in the game is a low-cost option, I wouldn’t walk away if I were San Antonio,” said Marc Ganis, a league consultant and president of SportsCorp. “Now, that doesn’t mean I’d pour lots of resources into it, or raise people’s hopes dramatically. But I certainly wouldn’t walk away, because you never know what happens in these things. These things can turn in odd ways.”
We have looked at top head coaching candidates a number of times so far this season, and will do so again as Adam Caplan of ESPN compiles a comprehensive list of assistant coaches who will be sought after for interviews this offseason (subscription required). At the top of his list are Patriots‘ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Cardinals‘ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Caplan also highlights Baylor’s Art Briles, Stanford’s David Shaw, and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn as college coaches who could make the jump to the NFL.

East Notes: Manning, Shurmur, Ryan

November 23rd, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Rory Parks

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post takes an in-depth look into how the Giants can be contenders again in 2015 as they play out the string in 2014. The good news, Hubbuch writes, is that New York will be in great shape vis-a-vis the salary cap after being in “cap jail” not too long ago. The Giants figure to have just over $118MM in cap commitments next season, and thanks to highly-lucrative television deals, the salary cap could reach over $140MM for 2015. That leaves New York plenty of room to quickly fortify their roster, especially considering next year’s free agent class looks to be especially deep.

There is, of course, one caveat to all of this: Eli Manning. Hubbuch quotes former NFL agent and current salary cap guru Joel Corry, who noted that “I would think the next six games will decide where the Giants go with Eli. It’s probably going to be a big stretch for him. I know the Giants pride themselves on loyalty, but you can’t have your quarterback out there throwing five interceptions.” However, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Giants do not really have a choice when it comes to their 34-year-0ld signal caller next season; his contract makes him virtually untouchable at this point.

So it appears as though New York will have to rebuild around Manning and hope that their vast amount of salary cap room, which could continue to grow if the team decides to part ways with players like Mathias Kiwanuka and Jon Beason, will allow them to acquire the talent to return to relevancy in the NFC East.

Now for several more items from the league’s east divisions:

In the same piece, Hubbuch suggests five specific moves that would help turn the Giants around, which include hanging onto Manning for one more season while turning 2015 into a contract year by not extending his current deal and drafting his potential replacement in May.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) released a list of top head coaching candidates for 2015, a list that includes former head coaches in the Patriots‘ Josh McDaniels and the Eagles‘ Pat Shurmur.
Mike Pouncey, although he has agreed to play guard for the Dolphins this season, wants to return to his natural center position after the 2014 season and Miami is aware of that desire, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes a Jets loss to a “displaced and distracted” Bills squad this week would be “the final nail in [Rex Ryan‘s] coaching coffin.”
We looked at Robert Griffin III‘s uncertain future in Washington earlier today.

RGIII’s Future In Washington In Doubt

November 23rd, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, Washington head coach Jay Gruden delivered some candid remarks on the disappointing play of Robert Griffin III, saying, “He’s auditioned long enough,” and “We want Robert to excel, we really do. But the last two games, it hasn’t been very good, anywhere.” These comments came on the heels of Griffin’s own statements that many perceived as an attempt to pass some of the blame for his own poor performance to his teammates.

Unlike in years past, however, Washington’s front office is standing behind its head coach. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Gruden received support from upper management following his comments regarding Griffin, and Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Gruden has the license to bench Griffin if his play is not good enough. Of course, this stands in stark contrast to reports three weeks ago that the decision to start Griffin over Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins following Griffin’s return from injury came from the front office and not from Gruden himself.

However, it appears that Griffin’s lackluster play following his return has forced the administration to change its approach. As Rapoport tweets, there are no longer “special rules” in place for Griffin, rules that previously included “all-access” to Washington’s facilities for Griffin and his family. Rapoport further tweeted that the team has “internal doubts” that Griffin will ever return to his 2012 form, as the quarterback’s numerous injuries have clearly taken their toll. Although it seemed out of the question when he led Washington to the playoffs two years ago, we have seen several reports over the past few weeks suggesting that not only will Washington decline to extend Griffin this offseason, the team will not even pick up his fifth-year option.

While there is always a chance that Griffin can harness his talents and give his team reason to believe in him with a strong showing over the last few weeks months of a second consecutive disappointing season, the odds of that happening seems to grow longer with each passing day, and Washington appears to have steeled itself for a future without their once-promising star.

NFC East Links: Garrett, Bryant, Eagles, RGIII

November 22nd, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will be a free agent at the end of the season, but that’s not distracting anyone within the organization. That includes owner Jerry Jones, who talked about his lack of concern on 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News):

“It’s really a non event for me, whether there is concern [from the outside] about it or not. I don’t mean to sound that way, but it hasn’t been a concern of mine and we haven’t made it a concern for the club this year. This talk about these contracts, no matter who it is that has a pending contract or one that’s coming up, that’s all for [media and fans] to talk about. That really has no impact on my day.”

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

Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News looks at how Garrett and the Cowboys front office have constructed the team’s current roster. Instead of rebuilding the team from scratch, Garrett has done a nice job of bringing in young pieces while keeping the team competitive.
ESPN.com’s Todd Archer believes a deal will eventually get done between the Cowboys and Dez Bryant. However, the writer believes the franchise tag is the most likely option at this point.
There is an “ominous feeling” in the Eagles organization that rookie linebacker Marcus Smith will not develop into an impact player, writes Jeff McLane of Philly.com. The first-rounder hasn’t seen the field much this season, but the Eagles are not panicking and refuse to rush their young player.
ESPN.com’s John Keim thinks Washington could give Robert Griffin III another offseason with coach Jay Gruden before ultimately make a decision on their quarterback.

Extra Points: RGIII, Brooks, Steelers

November 16th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some leftover notes to wrap up the weekend…

If Washington decides to exercise the fifth-year option on Robert Griffin III, the quarterback’s 2016 salary will be worth about $18.4MM, calculates Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. If the former second-overall pick doesn’t improve quickly, Florio says it’s hard to imagine the team picking up the option.
The 49ers reportedly shopped linebacker Ahmad Brooks close to the trade deadline, and it appears like that relationship continues to deteriorate. Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com reports that the 30-year-old pulled himself from Sunday’s win over the Giants because he was upset about playing time. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter) guesses that the 30-year-old and his $7.3MM contract won’t be around next season.
The dominant defense that the Steelers featured in the past is much harder to construct nowadays, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Previously, the team’s 3-4 strategy was unique and exclusive, meaning the team could target specific types of players for significantly less money. However, many teams have switched over to the Dick LeBeau-styled defense, and Pittsburgh is now being forced to bid against teams with larger pockets.

NFC Mailbags: Giants, Panthers, Lions

November 8th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means a fresh batch of NFL mailbags from ESPN’s writers. We’ve compiled some of the more interesting notes from the articles, and we’ll start with whispers out of the NFC…

Dan Graziano believes that Giants general manager Jerry Reese is safe and will not be fired following the season. The writer shares a similar sentiment for head coach Tom Coughlin, but he warns that a lot could change in the second-half of the season.
Based on what the team has seen from Robert Griffin III, Washington probably won’t be in the position to give their quarterback an extension this spring, writes John Keim.
Following a disappointing season, teams often place the blame on somebody besides the general manager or head coach. David Newton opines that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula could be that guy in Carolina.
Michael Rothstein writes that Calvin Johnson is practically indispensable to the Lions organization, and having the wideout on the roster will have no impact on Ndamukong Suh or DeAndre Levy‘s future with the team.