The Cases For Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick

Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick were both hoped to be potential franchise quarterbacks not that long ago. Both may now be available, and yet some fans want their favorite teams to stay away. 

Neither Robert Griffin III nor Colin Kaepernick are physically and mentally where they were earlier in their careers. Neither may ever prove themselves to be franchise quarterbacks.

Can we see RG3 and Kaepernick fail themselves out of the National Football League before we dump dirt on their careers?

ESPN Cleveland personality Tony Grossi responded “The circus is leaving” when a fan asked him about the Browns possibly pursuing Griffin, hinting that Johnny Manziel flopping out of Cleveland has anything to do with the Washington Redskins QB. Some observers commenting on the Browns via local sports talk radio have stated that the team should not be interested in Kaepernick assuming that Kaepernick is made available or cut by the San Francisco 49ers between now and the 2015 NFL Draft.

Let’s begin with the idea of the Browns brushing aside any reasonable idea for the QB position. This is the same franchise that has never had a legitimate long-time starting QB since returning to the NFL in 1999. Never. Not once. Not Tim Couch. Not Derek Anderson. Not Brian Hoyer. Not Manziel.

Quite frankly, if somebody was to suggest that the Browns could find a franchise QB on the moon, owner Jimmy Haslam should probably think about calling NASA to see if there are any vehicles available.

Related Story: 2016 NFL Mock Draft

Now, on to the men mentioned in the title.

Griffin’s injury history since his days in college are well-documented. He could suffer a torn ACL jogging on a treadmill at this point. The escapability that made Griffin an Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl QB back in 2012 is now but a memory. It is likely that Griffin will have to become a different player under center, one who plays in the pocket, to survive let alone to succeed in the NFL.

Griffin turned just 26-years-old earlier this month. Is there zero chance that he can properly adjust to his new life in the league?

It was just last fall when former New England Patriots safety and current television analyst Rodney Harrison referred to Griffin as a “jerk” during an interview (h/t CBSSports.com). Griffin earned his reputation as a locker room cancer with his past actions, but we outside of Washington heard little from him as Kirk Cousins was winning games and telling us what we enjoyed.

Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post wrote about what could be in store for Griffin’s future. Multiple talent evaluators, per Jones and Tesfatsion, used the word “humbled” to describe Griffin following his being benched and then essentially banished by Washington head coach Jay Gruden. Griffin has no reason to believe that any team, even the Browns, would hand him a starting job at any point of 2016 unless he proved his worth on the field.

More from NFL

• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Chicago Bears HC Matt Eberflus speaks on a number of team issues
• Ranking the top 5 Most Impressive Winning Streaks in NFL History
• Roschon Johnson showing he can be Chicago Bears RB1
• 10 current players bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on first ballot

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Griffin is, at best, 80 percent of what he was during his rookie season, and that he has found a new sense of commitment to the cause. Is that version of Griffin really worse than Alex Tanney, Austin Davis, Josh McCown, E.J. Manuel, Ryan Nassib or the large group of other passable QBs in the NFL?

Kaepernick is a different case entirely.

There are no concerns that Kaepernick is physically a shell of what he once was when he was helping the 49ers reach a Super Bowl. Kaepernick is a project who needs at the very least a new head coach. The only way we’ll know for sure that San Francisco coach Chip Kelly, who has never before worked with Kaepernick, would be willing to trade the QB will be if the 49ers trade or release the 28-year-old.

Kaepernick has, like Griffin, probably gone through a crisis of confidence after he was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert last fall. Problems with Kaepernick’s mechanics will need to be addressed, and he will need to find the right landing spot to resurrect his NFL career.

We hear that Cleveland has QB guru Hue Jackson serving as the team’s current head coach. Just throwing that out there.

A new team and a new home could benefit Kaepernick. Maybe that is why he has, according to NFL Network, requested a trade from the 49ers. Kaepernick has to know that he would right now today be the best QB option for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, maybe the Miami Dolphins, the Browns, the Houston Texans, the Philadelphia Eagles and, of course, the 49ers.

Any team interested in either Griffin or Kaepernick will have several things to figure out before completing the transaction. The franchise will have to evaluate issues such as salary cap space, the possibility of finding a starting QB in the 2016 NFL Draft and if Griffin or Kaepernick is the right fit for the team.

More nfl spin zone: Browns Should Take a Flier on Kaepernick

A list of QBs that could or that will become available this spring includes names such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallet, Brian Hoyer, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles, Chase Daniel, Connor Shaw and, of course, Manziel.

Are any of them better pick-ups than either Griffin or Kaepernick for the 2016 regular season?

Griffin and Kaepernick are football versions of the new Netflix show Fuller House: They are acceptable so long as expectations remain realistic. Neither Griffin nor Kaepernick may ever be Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady in the future. That’s OK.

Did you see the version of Peyton Manning who won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos?