Nature hates a vacuum and Redskins fans hate an offseason that does not involve a big name. Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is the newest addition to the mix that includes Ndomhkong Suh and Vic Fangio.
ESPN’s John Clayton bluntly says that The Redskins will not pass on Mariota if he falls to them in the upcoming Draft.
Mariota to the Redskins makes a certain sense for two reasons.
One, new GM Scot McCloughan has said he will draft the best player available regardless of position. He meant that as a philosophical approach, but with Mariota and Jameis Winston falling on mock draft boards, McCloughan could face an “opportunity” for both come Draft Day.
No NFL GM participates in mock drafts. Hog Heaven takes them as the wisdom of the crowd and nothing more. The Mocks suggest that neither Matiota nor Winston will be top five picks.
The second reason is that both Mariota and Robert Griffin III share similar strengths in their mobility, if, you know, RG fixes his head to be once again the dual threat quarterback he was when the Redskins drafted him. The coaches don’t have to switch game plans for Griffin and Mariota.
Daniel Snyder must confront reality before allowing this to happen.
Picking a first-round quarterback just four years after landing Griffin clearly stamps RGIII as a bust. As Clayton put it,
“…Dan Snyder might not think there’s quarterback issues, Jay Gruden and everyone else in the front office thinks there’s quarterback issues.”
Why this won’t work: Jay Gruden
But there’s a fly in the ointment and it’s a big one. Head Coach Gruden doesn’t know diddlysquat about read-option spread concepts and last year showed no inclination to learn. You are wasting the pick if you draft Mariota only to develop him as a conventional NFL pocket passer while doing the same with RGIII.
Except for one thing. The ‘Skins do not have a quarterback under contract after season. They can exercise franchise or transition options for RG and Kirk Cousins. If they do not, the team may move on from both and face a gap in the position.
The one technique the Redskins have never used with Griffin is to force him to compete for the starting spot. Hog Heaven is a Griffin fan. Even we think that hurt his career.
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Hog Heaven still believes in you, RG. You have not run out of time, but you have run out of excuses. Stand and deliver, or buh-bye.
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The Redskins do not develop players well. They prefer developed veterans, or high talent rookies like Sean Taylor. Strengthening the coaching staff may change that. Adding Bill Callahan and Matt Cavanaugh may help Gruden grow beyond his comfort zone with pocket passers in the style of Brad Johnson and Andy Dalton, but that remains to be seen.
Hog Heaven has doubts. The Shanahan’s ironically, might have been able to pull it off.
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