Is Robert Griffin III a Fit for the Seattle Seahawks?
By ColPatnode
The Seattle Seahawks addressed almost every remaining need in the 2017 NFL Draft. The backup QB position still remains a glaring and obvious need. With Trevone Boykin’s legal matters still up in the air, is it time for the Seahawks to take a look at Robert Griffin III?
Most football fans remember Robert Griffin III, or RG3, from his outstanding rookie season. The NFL Rookie of the Year’s amazing 2012 season ended with a torn ACL in Washington’s playoff loss to the Seahawks.
Since then, he hasn’t come close to repeating his 2012 season. After burning his bridges in Washington, RG3 began the 2016 season as the Browns starting QB before injuries sidelined him for most of the year.
Griffin still possesses excellent arm talent. He throws a pretty deep ball, and can zip passes into tight windows. Even when he is forced to throw off his back foot, Griffin still gets good velocity on his passes.
Despite his history of knee injuries, Griffin can still do all the things the Seahawks ask from its quarterbacks to help in the run game. He has experience in a zone-read option run scheme. He also throws well on the run in the play-action game. Griffin extends plays in the pocket, though he needs to keep his eyes up to make plays in the passing game.
This short clip highlights a lot of what Griffin does well. You will see a good mix of strong throws, zone-read option runs, and creativity with his scrambling ability.
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Of course, there is downside to RG3. If there wasn’t, he wouldn’t be sitting on the market in Mid-May. The most obvious issue is his durability. A career that is littered with injuries does not inspire much confidence in his ability to stay healthy if he is called upon to relieve Russell Wilson.
Griffin also has a tendency to sail throws over the middle, usually as a result of sloppy foot work. This, along with a gunslinger type of mentality, leads him to be a bit reckless with the football. To be a quarterback for a Pete Carroll team, you have got to value the football above all else.
Perhaps the most troubling concern is a sense that the talented QB has an inflated ego. It is not hard to understand how it came to be. After a meteoric rise from obscure Baylor QB to the #2 pick and NFL Rookie of the Year in one year, it is easy to imagine a person reading into his own press.
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If the recent situation has humbled Griffin, and he can accept a low guarantee contract to be a backup QB, there is no reason for the Seahawks to not consider RG3. If not, the team can simply continue with its current QB situation.