Washington Redskins a perfect fit for Marcus Mariota

The dysfunctional organization that is the Washington Redskins seems to be headed in a different direction. With new general manager Scot McCloughan at the helm, the days of Washington spending recklessly on the open market are over. Instead, the free agent signings of Terrance Knighton, Chris Culliver, and Stephan Paea to team-friendly deals are a welcomed change in the nation’s capital.

On the heels of a 4-12 season in 2014, the NFL draft is now the next important step towards rebuilding the Washington Redskins. With the fifth overall pick in the first round, the Redskins still have gaping holes to fill at offensive line, linebacker, and especially the safety position. However, the biggest need for this Redskins team is at quarterback in my opinion. Therefore, if Marcus Mariota is still on the board, Washington should not hesitate on pulling the trigger.

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As Robert Griffin III enters the final year of his rookie contract with no extension in sight, I think now is the perfect time to turn the page on the RG3 experiment. Things started out great for Griffin in Washington as he captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 and led the Redskins to the playoffs. However, Griffin has regressed since that time as injuries, attitude, and inconsistency has stunted his growth as a player.

Oct 27, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) lays injured after a sack by Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton (94) (not pictured) in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

As far as Marcus Mariota is concerned, the Redskins’ offense has some talented skill position players to work with and is already built for a scrambling quarterback. Washington running back Alfred Morris has eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau in each of his three NFL seasons, so playing the read option game with a speedy quarterback like Mariota could spell trouble for a defense. Both Morris and Mariota have experience with the read option system, so this could be a tailor made situation for both players.

In addition, Washington’s speed receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon could provide the separation from defenders that Mariota needs to be successful. Although the throwing lanes will be smaller at the NFL level, Mariota demonstrated his ability to scan the field and locate open receivers while at Oregon. One can make the argument that Griffin’s inability to patiently read the defense has been the main reason for his inconsistent play the past two seasons.

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

I also feel that Mariota’s positive attitude would be a welcomed change in the Redskins’ locker room. There are rumblings that Girffin’s agenda is all about building his own brand whereas Mariota is an unassuming personality and a willing pupil. Not to mention, Griffin has already suffered two separate ACL tears as well as a dislocated ankle in his brief playing career.

Granted, the organization did RG3 no favors by completely mismanaging his injury situations. The Redskins kept a visibly injured Griffin in the 2012 NFC wildcard game against Seattle and then rushed RG3 back onto the field for the start of the 2013 season following a knee injury that required off-season surgery. Redskins’ team president Bruce Allen publicly admitted that if given a chance to do it over, Griffin would not have played to begin the 2013 season. I feel as though former Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanahan should receive much of the blame for the mishandling of Griffin’s injury issues.

Personally, I was never a fan of Shanahan because in a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league, I think NFL coaches are allowed to live off of past glory years way too often. In football terms, Shanahan’s Super Bowl success in Denver was eons ago. That being said, I believe risking Griffin’s long term health was Shanahan’s self-serving attempt to salvage his own coaching career. Under Shanahan, Griffin was only removed from the starting lineup once the 2013 season was already a lost cause and Shanahan’s fate was already a foregone conclusion.

Dec 29, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan walks off the field after a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Redskins 20-6. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Being that Washington’s last coaching regime was a complete joke, I was willing to give Griffin a pass on his struggles in 2013. However, RG3’s struggles this past season under new head coach Jay Gruden certainly made me do a double take. When two different head coaches bench the same quarterback late in the season, I tend to think it is the quarterback who is to blame.

In an extremely candid post game press conference following Washington’s November 16th loss to Tampa Bay, Gruden detailed Griffin’s in-game errors.

“Robert had some fundamental flaws,” Gruden said in a press conference, via Yahoo! Sports’s Frank Schwab. “His footwork was below average. He took three-step drops when he should have taken five, he took one-step drops when he should have taken three – on a couple of occasions. He stepped up when he didn’t have to step up, and stepped into pressure. He read the wrong side of the field a couple of times. From his basic performance, just critiquing Robert, it was not even close to being good enough for what we expect from that quarterback position.”

After this stinging public criticism, Griffin did bounce back to have good showings against division rivals New York and Philadelphia. However, it is easy to see why the rumors have started linking Marcus Mariota to the Redskins. From injury concerns, to a perceived attitude problem, to performance issues, Robert Griffin III has way too much baggage for me to believe he is the long term answer in Washington. While it may not be music to the ears of Redskins’ owner Dan Synder, Washington should draft Mariota and cut bait with RG3 once one or more of these issues rears its ugly head again.

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