This week stands to be one of those exciting, hold on to the pleat of your pants kind of weeks. People began filling out their brackets on Sunday for the NCAA tournament. Then there’s the NBA’s trade deadline expiring this Thursday at 3pm just as the fever of the NCAA tournament is stopping all work in virtually every office in America. Of course there’s the NFL Free Agency beginning today at 4pm.
But all of that pales in comparison to the Knicks problems and the Mets injury woes that we’ll get to during the week.
The Washington Redskins gave up three number one draft picks (2012, 2013, 2014) and their second round draft pick this year to the Rams for the right to select second overall in this year’s NFL draft where they will select Robert Griffin the Third. RGIII is now the story and will be. Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post has a fantastic story about the development of a leader. Thomas Boswell writes what I’m sure every Skins fan is thinking since the trade was announced: “RGIII will either demolish an amazing losing streak or confirm a curse.”
These are the kind of big splashes that Daniel Snyder is known to make. Loud noises meant to get the attention of the league in order to show them that he too is daddy long pockets capable of throwing money around on the whim in order to get what he wants. The question though to ask for Skins fans is: what exactly is it that he wants? If its a winner, then he certainly hasn’t thought too deeply about the process.
Creating a championship team takes character guys mixing well with guys with a bit of an attitude problem but obvious talent. Everyone has talent in this league, but those guys with the elite talent sometimes come in weird packages of ego and me first attitude. The Washington Redskins however have chosen to go where no Daniel Snyder team has gone before: they have decided to trade for a character guy with talent. Call it luck (ok maybe Luck is an incorrect usage), but definitely call it a marriage of convenience.
Robert Griffin III is in fact the first free agent signing that most Skins fans and talent evaluators and analysts will sign off on in union. He’s the son of a member of the army. He’s a guy who was being looked at as an Olympic hurdler. But he is a Quarterback first and foremost. A leader by virtue of his position and by disposition. He’s the kid that every father will welcome into his home and bug his daughter to go out with and he’s a player that coaches dream about having. He’s perfect, almost as if he were conjured up in some Manchurian Candidate kind of way and for most Skins fans, this perfect QB has to frighten them. They’ve been burned one too many times by high priced free agents that were signs of promise but never anything more.
Daniel Snyder built his reputation on building through free agency yet he never won anything. He is loved by players because when push comes to shove, if you are indeed an elite player chances are that you can use Washington to drive up your price and if money is the only thing that matters in the end, then that’s where you go. I don’t fault players for going for the biggest pay day, Lord only knows how screwed up the sport is when no contract is guaranteed while playing in the one sport that ultimately will ruin your chances at living a pain free life after retirement. But there’s a bit of selling your soul to play in Washington that’s in the air. The almost sly grin players have at their press conferences “yeah I know I took the money..so what? You would too.” Chances are, you’re right.
But you get the overwhelming sense that Washington hit the nail right in the head. Chances are that in DC, Griffin will finally begin to undo all the wrong. You get the sense that his persona will lend itself to cleaning up the mess that most believe was created by TRYING to buy itself a championship team. You get the sense that NO amount of draft picks is ever enough for a QB who can singlehandedly change the fortunes of a franchise. Ask Colts fans. Or better yet, ask Giants fans who have a two time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP in Eli Manning if they regret trading all those picks for Eli. I’d bet the answer is an overwhelming NO.
You see, guys like Griffin don’t grow on trees. Guys like Griffin come along every once in a while. He was born to be great. He was challenged by parents who expected great things. He was groomed to be respectful and productive member of society. His parents did their job by instilling a work ethic that Redskins fans and team officials hear about and drool over. The Skins aren’t just getting a QB, they are getting a leader of men. A guy who has more than just football on his mind. He’s got bigger fish to fry. His aspirations may lead him to do even greater things long after his playing career is over.
I’m not saying that there isn’t an opportunity for failure here. Lord only knows that the Skins have been down that road before way too many times but this feels different. He’s not a washed up veteran looking for a pay day. This is a kid with a chip on his shoulder with something to prove. He’s a guy that everyone rants and raves over. The biggest question is: “could he be worth THIS much?” Let me ask you one thing: what certainty is there that any of the four draft picks the Rams get are worth remotely close to what RGIII is? You can’t. Not for a franchise QB. Not for a guy that will almost certainly become instantly the most popular athlete in the metro DC area. This is Presidential territory. This is nation’s capital stuff. He makes it big there, he will open up so many doors for himself within that community that the world will literally be at his fingertips. Is there a price too high for RGIII? I ask this: Is there a price for immortality? You take your shots in life, THESE are one of those moments. Good for you Redskins.
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