The Washington Redskins can't be in the business of giving away a 25-year-old, second-overall pick quarterback just three years removed from a season of historic proportions.
The front office doesn't have that luxury. Not even close. And anyone who thinks the epic levels of dysfunction in Washington would be solved simply be releasing the only quarterback to show even above-average potential in the past, oh, 15 seasons or so of the franchise, hasn't been paying nearly enough attention to the ongoing debacle in DC. So while there are reports mounting about Robert Griffin III being on his way out of Washington, and that his trade or release was imminent, and the team simply couldn't go on much longer with him on the roster … well, that's not the case at all.
Don't get me wrong: The kid doesn't have much of a future there. If any. But simply giving him away -- no one is trading for that contract with a $16M option for 2016 already guaranteed for injury -- and waiving him isn't going to solve Washington's myriad issues.
It isn't going to make the Redskins more than the four-win team they'll likely be again. It isn't going to add assets for the future. And it sure isn't going to end the ugly cycle of dysfunction that as been the hallmark of Dan Snyder's reign as owner.
What it would do, however, is open up the possibility of yet another crisis and disaster, should someone like oh, Chip Kelly, claim RG3 and use him in the NFC East as his third quarterback to Washington's detriment. Anyone coaching this kid up and fixing him to any degree would just reinforce everything that has stunted Washington's organization growth for going on two decades now. Too much risk. And no reward.
Simply kicking this backup quarterback to the curb for nothing in return -- and parting with someone who isn't that far removed from a Heisman Trophy and a 2012 season for the ages -- isn't going to make anything much better. Keep this in mind -- this is a human being; not a video game character. Wherever RG3 goes, if he continues to tweet stuff and like posts on Instagram, and if he takes shots at his former team on social media, that's going to remain a huge story in Washington.
Any time RG3 throws a touchdown pass or whatever, the guys in the Washington locker room are going to be asked about it. He isn't a ghost. Coach Jay Gruden can't escape him that easily, and the fact is this monster has already been created and empowered, and the aftershocks of this turbulent era don't just get stifled by some release papers.
And, well, this franchise had quite a doozy of a week even after this latest RG3 circus. It's been going on there forever and won't just end with him out of the building. They are going to stink no matter what, and subsidizing some winning program by handing Griffin to a uniquely skilled coaching staff isn't going to put more wins in the standings for Washington.
Again, to return to Kelly -- this guy toyed around with Tim Tebow on his roster for half a year; you don't think he'd have a roster spot earmarked for RG3 if he was available? You don't think he'd want him over Stephen Morris or Christian Ponder?
This is a business and Washington hasn't been savvy in the business of winning football games for quite some time. Aside from three quirky December runs, there haven't been many positive months from this franchise, much less seasons, since Snyder took over in 1999.
You don't break that chain simply by cutting Griffin.
Could he be something of a distraction at times moving forward? Maybe. But given the fact that this franchise has so little invested financially in the quarterback position for 2015 and given the fact that almost no one starts 16 games for this team under center, like, ever -- Jason Campbell in 2008 and 2009 and Brad Johnson in 1999 are the only ones to do it in the Snyder era -- well, do we really think Kirk Cousins will accomplish that behind this line, this year?
And if he doesn't, does it really make sense to get another look at Colt McCoy -- a system guy at best who isn't the answer and won't be the answer and has significant limitations -- or do you serve the franchise better by looking at Griffin? Maybe he plays well. Maybe he shocks people. Maybe, as contending teams lose starting quarterbacks, Griffin becomes willing to alter his future guarantees to facilitate a trade that brings something back.
But short of RG3 suffering an injury that renders him unable to pass a physical in March -- which would trigger his $16M salary for 2016 -- the risks are small. And honestly, for a guy like Snyder who has been paying players and coaches millions just to go away throughout his tenure, would anyone really be shedding tears if he had to do so again? Again, it's not like that money and the cap hit would be what's holding back the 2016 Redskins from being real winners.
What I kept hearing from inside Redskins Park as this drama with Griffin's concussion unfolded was the need to be patient, allow for things to "cool off" and die down and not get caught up in the heat of the moment and all of the knee-jerk reactionary stuff flying around. They needed to take a breath and let things settle down and then see what kind of asset, if any, this kid can be moving forward. I get all of that.
After all the Redskins gave up to trade for Griffin, and after all they've been through together already, this wasn't going to end on a waiver wire in early September. We'll see if it ends in October before the trade deadline or later in the winter or after the season. But it's beyond naïve to think chucking Griffin breaks the pattern of absurdity that defines this franchise, and while the kid himself merits plenty of blame, this was hardly all of his own creation.
What are the Falcons thinking?
I hate to sound like the boogeyman for some quarterback every week in this space, but, man, Matt Ryan needs to keep his head on a swivel. Of all the transactions made before the roster deadline, nothing had me more baffled than the Falcons trading for Titans guard Andy Levitre. Be afraid, Matt Ryan. Be very afraid.
Levitre is one of the biggest free-agent flops in recent history, getting top-of-the-market money from the Titans and playing such poor football that Tennessee would've waived him rather than have to cut another $6.5M in checks to him. Case in point: The Titans have as bad a roster as there is in the league and took a quarterback with the second overall pick who they obviously need to protect … and this cat couldn't get a single snap with the starters. Levitre was a bit part on a bad team. Now the Falcons -- who are NFC South Champs or bust yet again in 2015 -- come along and actually trade for this contract.
Think about that: Rather than just waiting and trying to sign Levitre to a new deal worth millions less, Atlanta actually gave up something to take on this ridiculous deal.
"I really still can't believe it," one exec told me again on Saturday. "They must be beyond desperate."
This exec kept checking the NFL Management Council contract records, in disbelief, for days after the trade thinking he must've missed something. Clearly the Titans agreed to pay the vast majority of the contract. Surely, Levitre agreed to a pay cut or something. Only, nope. There he sits, counting $6.5M in cash and $6.5M against the Falcons cap. Good luck with that. Levitre's tape the past few years has been awful according to anyone I've talked to who bothered to watch, and for all of the skill position talent Ryan has to work with, Atlanta's offensive line might undermine it all.
Go North, Tim Tebow
I think we can all agree that this is it for Tim Tebow, right? If Chip Kelly couldn't be his last, best football patriarch, then no one will. I mean, Josh McDaniels -- who knows offense -- and Bill Belichick -- who knows everything -- have already given up on him. Go to the broadcast booth, Timmy, and enjoy a great 25-year run. You'll be fine.
And we'll see how long it takes before Ponder is in that roster spot with the Eagles, because everything I'm hearing leads me to believe that's what's going to happen with the third quarterback spot there.
Of course, if Tebow does take Kelly's advice and wants to build on his training camp by playing in the CFL, the opportunity exists. Montreal retains his CFL contract rights and it was only about a year ago when team officials met with Tebow in the United States to have significant discussions about joining their team. Tebow was very serious about doing it then, sources said, even having his bags packed for Montreal at one point, before opting for the ESPN job instead.
He'd be welcomed back in Montreal and the timing would be interesting -- the Alouettes happen to be on their bye this week -- and he would be coached by Anthony Calvillo, who just retired as one of the greatest quarterbacks in CFL history and could clearly still relate to a player trying to make the transition to the Canadian game. Anywho, my best guess is that Tebow goes to TV, but if he did want to keep his playing dream alive -- and the booth will always be there for him, let's face facts there -- he could do a lot worse than going to the premier franchise in the CFL.
Surveying contenders and pretenders for 2015
Hope springs eternal in the NFL in September, and, as always, parity is the rule. For me, I'd put the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers in the top tier of clubs. I'd have a second group of teams like the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos as top contenders. My third tier includes recent playoff teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions who could make it interesting.
A fourth tier of teams possibly on the rise who might crack the playoff bubble are the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers (yes, they've already made the postseason regularly recently, but injuries and roster concerns have them dropped to this tier).
And then there's a final tier of teams (usually a good quarter of the league) that frankly have no chance to do anything in the postseason -- the Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders (though I do think the Raiders will be quite improved). In an average year there's generally a quarter of the league that's truly primed to compete for a Lombardi Trophy, half the league that at least has a playoff shot, and a quarter of the league that is playing catch-up and will get smacked around by the top 75 percent of the league week in and week out.
More news from around the league:
 Baltimore Ravens |
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| Baltimore has a real problem in the return game. I suspect Steve Smith and Lardarius Webb end up back there far, far more than John Harbaugh and Co. would like. And I'd be completely shocked if top pick Breshad Perriman sees the field in Week 1 and frankly would have a hard time seeing him being ready for a starting role in the first month of the season. Slot receiver Michael Campanaro's health will be a critical factor for the Ravens, who open up with a brutal stretch of road games. They badly need Campanaro -- who essentially missed camp -- to be a factor on third down and on special teams. | |
 Cincinnati Bengals |
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| The Bengals defense has lacked a certain vigor and swagger when Vontaze Burfict has been on the sidelines and not having him for the first six weeks of the season will certainly put pressure on others. If this is to truly be a renaissance season for defensive tackle Geno Atkins, it better start in Week 1. He needs to tighten up the middle of that defense and get back to collapsing the pocket in what could be an all-or-nothing year for coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Andy Dalton. It will be telling what kind of emotion this unit plays with from the onset without the guy who sets that tone for them as a willing thumper. | |
 Indianapolis Colts |
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| It sounds like the Colts are not going to be able to get a deal done with left tackle Anthony Castonzo before the season starts, and if they do it would be at a ridiculous price. I keep hearing the former first-round pick is looking for a massive new deal, and after years of the Colts over-paying talent, I could see why agent Tom Condon, ever-shrewd and ever-patient, would seek a big sum now. But this isn't a bookend stud -- rather a very competent performer -- and the Colts would be wise to use the threat of the franchise tag to essentially play out the next two seasons (he has the fifth-year option for 2016). With Andrew Luck's earth-shattering deal still to get done, owner Jim Irsay might want to steer clear of further commitments because he's only already cost himself future money by waiting this long on Luck in the first place. | |
 New England Patriots |
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| Helluva last bite at the apple for Reggie Wayne, getting $500,000 for two weeks of limited work, but Bill Belichick had an incredible affinity for him and the Pats had a big need at receiver and to them it was worth the risk to take a shot on the aging free agent. I'd be very surprised if Wayne does not announce his retirement in short order. The Colts staff could see he'd lost his legs last season. His heart didn't seem to be in this comeback, and he seems to see the writing on the wall and the prospects of slogging through another season past his prime probably doesn't make sense for anyone. Trying to find a spark in the fourth preseason game was probably the way Wayne goes out, but no one is going to remember that. Tremendous career and perhaps Canton-bound. | |
 Philadelphia Eagles |
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| I've had a few teams tell me -- just as was the case before free agency began and before the draft -- that Chip Kelly was open to all kinds of scenarios leading into the roster cut down. One personnel exec said Kelly was gauging interest in several position groups where he was particularly deep -- linebacker, running back and corner -- and seems inclined to shake things up if the right opportunities emerged. The Cowboys already traded for Christine Michael (Seattle) and the Titans swapped the Browns a conditional pick for Terrance West. Montee Ball will likely be snatched up by some team, too. The Texans and Cowboys were doing as much work on the running back trade market as anyone. I get the sense neither is locked into their current group by a long shot. | |
 San Diego Chargers |
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| I wouldn't expect former Chargers kicker Nick Novak to be out of work for long. If the Steelers had not already traded for Josh Scobee they would've likely made the move, and the Saints are among the teams not quite fully settled with their kicking situation. Novak didn't have a bad camp at all, and he wasn't out-performed by un-drafted rookie Josh Lambo, but San Diego clearly wanted to get younger and cheaper at kicker. Novak's full salary becomes guaranteed if he makes the 53-man roster, which isn't all that unusual. For a team that I think can win that division, however, it's always risky. "They chose youth, but Nick Novak did not lose the so-called kicking completion," said Novak's agent, Chad Wiestling. "It was never a competition. It never was." | |
 Seattle Seahawks |
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| There is a lot of chatter among agents and other executives about Kam Chancellor possibly seeking a trade from Seattle, but the problem with that is, Seattle holds all the cards. If agent Alvin Keels does want out, I can tell you unequivocally, he has not been granted permission to speak to any other teams about a trade and any team talking to him about Chancellor would be tampering and the Seahawks have no mind to deal Chancellor. As rival execs put it, it would take "a ransom" to land the safety and they couldn't imagine Seattle dealing the holdout to any team in the NFC -- like the safety-barren Giants -- who could come back to bite them. Only rarely do teams give up "a ransom" in return, and agree to tear up a deal for a strong safety already making $7M a year and give him even more money. Other execs have also been impressed by the play of Dion Bailey ("John has no reason to budge -- that Bailey kid is good, man," one personnel guru told me) and the Seahawks dded great depth by picking up Kelcie McCray from the Chiefs in trade Saturday. Don't get me wrong, the Seahawks know Chancellor's worth to their team, but they are fortifying themselves should this be the rare case of a holdout that actually spreads into the season. Seahawks brass has told other front offices that they won't forgo the $30,000 a day in fines Chancellor incurred -- I tend to believe they would quickly if he showed back up -- and they seem pretty entrenched on seeing how many paychecks, if any, Chancellor is willing to sacrifice. Regardless, a trade won't be the solution here, if there is one. | |
