Houston Texans should sign Robert Griffin III

The Houston Texans are in need of a quarterback, and signing Robert Griffin III would solve some issues

While many Washington fans enjoyed Kirk Cousins‘ breakout year, one person who certainly didn’t like that was former first-round pick Robert Griffin III.

As Cousins led Washington to an NFC East title and a home playoff game, RG3 wallowed on the sideline.

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Griffin’s contract is now up, and with all signs pointing to Cousins returning to D.C., it’s almost guaranteed Griffin will play elsewhere in 2016.

So why not go home?

I know there’s a lot of speculation that RG3 may wind up signing with Dallas, but chances are he’ll get a more lucrative contract and a better chance to start in Houston.

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that Houston has a problem at the quarterback position. Saturday was indicative of that, as the Texans were blanked in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, as Brian Hoyer threw four interceptions. But to be fair, Hoyer was never the long-term solution at quarterback. He was a bridge QB at best, but that bridge may be broken now.

RG3, while no longer the superstar he once was, would be a tremendous improvement for the Texans. People criticize Griffin for his regression, but it’s important to remember that a) he definitely rushed back from the injury he suffered in the 2012 playoffs b) the rest of the NFL caught up with the read-option and c) he was playing behind an abysmal offensive line.

That offensive line was far from great, and the Redskins made a point to address it in the offseason leading up to the 2015 season. Cousins benefited immensely, as it was head-and-shoulders better than the unit from 2014.

In a previous article I talked about why the offensive line was a catalyst for Griffin’s struggles.

"“According to ESPN, the unit surrendered 58 total sacks, with Griffin absorbing 33 of those sacks. His style of play undoubtedly leads to some of the sacks. But the offensive line didn’t doing him or any other quarterback any favors this past season as Griffin was sacked at least once in every game he played in.”"

Of course, some of the blame is on Griffin’s style of play and his inability to throw the ball away. But the fact that Griffin faced pressure on his first and last pass attempt of 2014 says something.

Griffin would also fit Houston’s offense quite well. In 2015, the team used a lot of gimmicky formations to hide some of its weaknesses. For instance, against the Jets when Case Keenum was the starting quarterback, the Texans relied on trick plays, including a Cecil Shorts throw to Alfred Blue.

It’s no secret that Griffin isn’t exactly the most polished or accurate passer, so playing in an offense that suits him is imperative. Having DeAndre Hopkins to throw the ball to would also make things easier for Griffin. Despite his injury history, Griffin still has a cannon and can make deep throws.

Something else worth noting is the fact that Griffin may be the healthiest he’s been since his rookie year. After suffering a concussion in the preseason, RG3 only dressed for one game in 2015. Honestly, getting time on the sideline was probably the best thing for Griffin.

Griffin to Houston just flat-out makes sense. NFL.com’s Connor Orr wrote that a change of scenery would benefit Griffin.

"“Coach Bill O’Brien is great with young quarterbacks and he could bring Griffin back to Texas and away from a media spotlight that set Griffin up to fail from the beginning. In Houston, he will have a chance to work with one of the best young wideouts in football, DeAndre Hopkins.”"

An issue with Griffin is how many thought his ego inflated during his stint in D.C. He seemingly made his week 1 return all about him, and he lost the support of many of his offensive linemen, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Some of that falls on owner Dan Synder for making RG3 one of his favorites, but it’s crazy to say Griffin doesn’t deserve some blame.

While RG3 still carries some — faded — star power, he wouldn’t be the main attraction in Houston, as Orr noted. With Hopkins, Arian Foster, Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt on the team, RG3 would just be another face.

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Signing Griffin would be somewhat of a risk, but he’s better than the alternative. A potential RG3-homecoming wouldn’t necessarily mean the Texans couldn’t draft a quarterback either.

The chances of head coach Bill O’Brien picking his prodigy Christian Hackenberg in a middle round is very likely, but Hackenberg isn’t a quarterback who can start and succeed as a rookie.

Houston is going to do something to address the quarterback conundrum. The closest thing this team has had to a franchise quarterback was Matt Schaub. The jury’s still out on whether RG3 can still be a viable starter, but bringing him in is far from the worst move.

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