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Robert Griffin III Experiment Must Remain Top Priority

By Maxwell Ogden

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In 2012, Robert Griffin III put together one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history. He dazzled fans with his tantalizing athleticism and elusiveness, picked opposing defenses apart from the pocket and led the Washington Redskins to an unforgettable six-game winning streak in the midst of the postseason hunt.

In 2015, Griffin III’s NFL future is in question.

Now 25 years old, RG3 is reaching a crossroads in his professional career. His name value and raw talent suggest that he’d receive a contract without much difficulty, but his place as a locked-in starter is in doubt.

For all that plagues the polarizing field general, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reports that Washington plans on handing Griffin III the reins for the entire 2015 season.

In many ways, that’s what Washington should’ve done from the start.

Griffin III certainly has his flaws, but he’s one of the most dynamic players in the NFL when healthy. His escapability is close to unparalleled, while his passing accuracy and arm strength are criminally under-appreciated.

When coupled with the three first-round and one second-round draft picks that were traded to acquire RG3, Washington must not stray from its vision of giving him the 2015 NFL season to prove himself.

It’s the only rational decision.

In just three seasons, Griffin III has accumulated a longer list of injuries than one would hope for. He missed just one regular season game as a rookie, but tore his ACL and LCL during the playoffs.

Since then, Griffin has played in just 22 of a possible 32 regular season games.

The injury scares continued on Thursday, August 20, when Griffin III took an absolute beating during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions. It was initially believed that he suffered a shoulder injury, but the prognosis came back differently.

According to Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan, RG3’s shoulder is fine, but his head is not.

In case you missed it, Griffin III went through hell to reach his current state:

Griffin III needs better protection, but that’s another conversation for another day.

Despite the fact that Griffin III is already hurt in 2015, Washington cannot afford to stray from its original plan. It gave up too much to acquire the No. 2 pick to select him in the 2012 NFL Draft.

For whatever it may be worth, the St. Louis Rams are currently building their team with those acquired picks.

The RG3 trade resulted in St. Louis landing Stedman Bailey, Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Alec Ogletree, Greg Robinson and Zac Stacy. All six of those players have played significant roles for the Rams, with all but Stacy still on the roster.

Washington would’ve had the same opportunity to stock up on talent had it not bet the house on Griffin III.

That isn’t a cause for regret or remorse, but instead a sign that the franchise quarterback has too much value to the organization to ride the bench. Through the good and the bad, he needs to have full control over the starting job.

Wins, losses, interceptions and fumbles be damned; Washington needs to know if it can build around Griffin III.

Forget about the reality that he has too much raw potential to give up on without a fair shot. Ignore the fact that, in what’s perceived to be a dreadful 2014 campaign, he completed 68.7 percent of his passes.

Washington simply has too much invested in Griffin III to give up on him after just three seasons.

For better or worse, Jay Gruden has a player with superstar potential on his depth chart. Through good times and bad, the only way for a quarterback to reach that potential is through the opportunity to play.

Come the end of the 2015 NFL season, Gruden will have an answer to the most pressing question circulating throughout FedEx Field: is Robert Griffin III still the future in Washington?

Next: 2015 will be the most important season of Eli Manning's career

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