NFL Trade Deadline: 30 greatest trades in NFL history

22. Redskins give up too much for Robert Griffin III

Speaking of the Los Angeles Rams, while they were still in St. Louis , the team was fortunate enough to be in a position back in 2012 with the No. 2 pick to field trade offers. The Rams had taken quarterback Sam Bradford No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma only two years prior.

The Washington Redskins seemed to be willing to do whatever it takes to move up to draft a quarterback, they struck up a deal with the Rams to draft their new franchise signal caller at No. 2 overall.

With the Indianapolis Colts making the easy decision to go with Andrew Luck with the top overall selection, the next best option at quarterback heading into the draft seemed to be former Baylor standout Robert Griffin III.

For a team like the Redskins in desperate need of help at the quarterback position, the Rams knew it was too good to be true. Part of the deal to move up involved Washington swapping first-round picks in 2012 (No. 6) along with first-rounders in 2013 and 2014.

Giving up this many first rounders sounded ridiculous then for a team like the Redskins. However, when seeing how quickly Griffin made an impact during his rookie campaign, it all seemed to be worth it. That was until his knee injury became a serious issue in the NFC playoffs.

Ever since Griffin tore his ACL and LCL, the quarterback was unfortunately never the same player. He would only end up spending four years in Washington, being inactive for all the 2015 season.

One can only imagine how different Griffin’s career with the Redskins would have been if it wasn’t for those injuries he suffered as a rookie. He seemed to be on his way to a promising NFL career. While it’s even more painful to think about all the draft picks given up at the time by the Redskins, at least the Rams made out well in the deal.