ASHBURN — It didn’t take long to figure this out: Robert Griffin III will be the Washington Redskins’ best quarterback since Sonny Jurgensen.
Griffin’s arm is just as good as Jeff George’s was a decade ago. He’s as smart as Joe Theismann was in the 1980s. He has as much potential to be a game-changer for the Redskins as Jurgensen did when he arrived in Washington in the mid-1960s.
Griffin may have cost a king’s ransom, but he’s going to rule the Redskins for many years.
He was a perfect choice for Washington, and he’s so good that coach Mike Shanahan’s not even going to pretend anyone else is in contention to start. A coach who won’t give anything of even minimal use away to opposing teams didn’t even bother with lip service.
“He’s the starter — period,” Shan?ahan said.
In his two seasons here, Shanahan has learned how distractions become media storms in Washington. He’s not going to put himself though another one when he has the player who can restore his reputation after 6-10 and 5-11 seasons.
Washington’s record may not improve much this fall, but a good, young quarterback always creates hope. Ask Carolina fans how they feel following Cam Newton’s rookie season, in which the Panthers finished 6-10 but the quarterback became one of the top 10 leaguewide?
There’s a lot to like about Griffin after the Redskins’ rookie minicamp ended Sunday: how quickly the ball leaves his hand, the laser throws to the receiver’s correct shoulder so defenders can’t reach the ball, the footwork that creates plays.
But Griffin also walked over to the coaches after each series. Learning 14-word phrases isn’t just a new language; it’s Klingon. Yet Griffin seemed comfortable with the playbooks. Teammates noticed it. That’s part of leadership.
“It’s different when you look at 14 words on a piece of paper and you have no idea what those 14 words mean,” he said. “When you get into the playbook and the film room with the coaches and you know what it means, it comes to you easier.”
One minor knock on Griffin’s play at Baylor was that he didn’t have many options, that he would need to expand his checkoffs in the NFL. You could see Griffin was looking to the fourth option during drills, was shortening his drop from seven to five steps and was “keeping my base” when he suddenly switched targets.
Griffin’s polish is impressive. He admits knowing all eyes are on him but never shows it. Between series, Griffin was next to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan rather than going for drink or resting a moment. That’s leadership, too.
Before a bigger-than-usual media throng, Griffin never seemed intimidated. Wearing a Redskins T-shirt so new it was still showing its creases, Griffin once waited for a plane to pass before answering a question. Most players try to talk through the noise. That shows experience.
Griffin knows it will get harder when veterans report. He joked of being taped to the goalposts or having water thrown on him.
The rookie likely will take it well. Just like everything else.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
