Another season, another year where the Washington Redskins are a dysfunctional mess. To be honest, sometimes there's so much discord that I can't even keep track of it all.
One element that's been worth watching, however, is the status of third-year Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III. It's no secret that Griffin just hasn't been the same player he was in his rookie year when he completed 65.6% of his passes for 3,200 yards and threw 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions for a passer rating of 102.4. Griffin also showed off his elite mobility that season by rushing for 815 yards and seven touchdowns on just 120 attempts.
It appears Griffin is falling out of favor in Washington as his struggles continue and the losses pile up. Some think Griffin will never look anything close to the dynamic threat he was in 2012. There's ample reason to believe the skeptics are correct.
But then again, perhaps the problem isn't just Griffin. Perhaps it's that consistently terrible Washington football organization. It's hard to argue Griffin has been given a great set-up to succeed. He has some talented skill players to work with, sure, but the coaching has been less than impressive. Jay Gruden is uninspiring and Mike Shanahan was clearly cooked.
So would a change of scenery benefit Griffin? It's fair to wonder. Grantland writer Bill Barnwell released a column on Tuesday that aimed to take stock of Griffin's future. Barnwell listed 10 teams where Griffin might end up, assume Washington would be willing to trade him this offseason. It just so happens that the Philadelphia Eagles, who are lacking a clear answer at quarterback, rank third on the list. Barnwell does make some good points:
"Oh boy. This is the nuclear option for everyone involved, and yet for everybody involved, it makes a lot of sense. Chip Kelly hasn’t had a mobile quarterback capable of scaring opposing teams with the zone-read since Michael Vick hit the bench last season, and even with his limitations after knee surgery, Griffin would qualify. The offense that Kelly runs in Philadelphia shares some similarities to what Griffin ran in college, given their shared usage of the read-option and emphasis on both spreading the field and using tempo as an offensive asset. And Kelly, who recruited Griffin out of high school, has no qualms about acquiring a damaged quarterback if he thinks he can mold him into a worthwhile starter. Is Griffin really a worse case than Mark Sanchez?
The fly in the ointment is Washington, which might hesitate to deal its former franchise quarterback inside the division out of a fear he’ll come back to beat D.C. twice a year. That being said, if Washington is already so sure that Griffin’s not worth holding on to, why would it be concerned about dealing Griffin to a rival? If anything, if it’s that sure he’s going to fail wherever he goes, why wouldn’t it be aggressive about dealing him to Philadelphia in the hopes he’ll blow up their locker room? This would be the most fun destination for Griffin."
Now, I'm sure a number of people will be very against this possibility. A number of people would rather just stick with Nick Foles, citing his youth (despite being older than Griffin) as why he deserves another chance to be Philadelphia's long-term answer. A number of people will wonder if Griffin even fits into Chip Kelly's culture. A number of people will point out that this kind of idea is better saved for off season content.
But while there are a number of fair concerns, this is very much an option worth discussing as long as the Eagles don't have a clear answer at quarterback. Philadelphia likely won't be in position to select a top option (hello, Marcus Mariota) in the 2015 NFL Draft so they may need to get creative if they're not satisfied with just sticking with what they currently have.
And if nothing else, wouldn't the idea of Washington's fallen star revitalizing his career in Philadelphia be entertaining?
Let's put this to a vote. Would you like to see Robert Griffin III in Philly? Could Chip Kelly help revive his career?
UPDATE: WWashington benches RG3 for Colt McCoy.