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Caliskinsfan
Burgundy & Gold Forevah
Some interesting comments from Jay Gruden in Peter Kings Monday morning QB.
Jay Gruden, Washington: Getting the most out of Robert Griffin III.
For the St. Louis Rams, the 2012 trade of the second pick in the draft—which Washington used to select Griffin—is the gift that keeps on giving. Four starting Rams have come from the deal, and there’s still the second pick in the draft this year remaining. For Griffin, who never formed the bond there should have been with coaches Mike and Kyle Shanahan, the Gruden addition is vital. Gruden will be judged by wins and losses, to be sure, but also by whether he can coach and teach Griffin into becoming the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.
“I worked with Andy Dalton for three years in Cincinnati, and built a foundation of concepts and protections that I think worked well with him,” Gruden said. “With Robert, we’ll obviously use his skill set differently. When it comes to the quarterback position, my job is to make him comfortable and productive. I’m not going to try to turn RG3 into Andy Dalton or Drew Brees. He isn’t them. They’re not him. I would be foolish to try to turn RG3 into a pocket passer. It would be foolish. The way he is as a runner, we have to take advantage of that. He strikes fear into defensive coordinators when he runs outside. I’m going to let him be himself.”
It sounds good. But Griffin, as himself, averaged 132 rushes per year in his four Baylor seasons. He ran it 120 times as an NFL rookie in 2012, when he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’ll be 24 when next season starts, and has already had two ACL surgeries. Do you really want Griffin to “be himself” if that self wants to get out of the pocket and run so much? I understand Gruden, but I also would want to limit my young franchise quarterback’s exposure to danger in the open field—unless he was committed to sliding at the first sign of trouble, which Griffin hasn’t shown a willingness to do consistently.
Jay Gruden, Washington: Getting the most out of Robert Griffin III.
For the St. Louis Rams, the 2012 trade of the second pick in the draft—which Washington used to select Griffin—is the gift that keeps on giving. Four starting Rams have come from the deal, and there’s still the second pick in the draft this year remaining. For Griffin, who never formed the bond there should have been with coaches Mike and Kyle Shanahan, the Gruden addition is vital. Gruden will be judged by wins and losses, to be sure, but also by whether he can coach and teach Griffin into becoming the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.
“I worked with Andy Dalton for three years in Cincinnati, and built a foundation of concepts and protections that I think worked well with him,” Gruden said. “With Robert, we’ll obviously use his skill set differently. When it comes to the quarterback position, my job is to make him comfortable and productive. I’m not going to try to turn RG3 into Andy Dalton or Drew Brees. He isn’t them. They’re not him. I would be foolish to try to turn RG3 into a pocket passer. It would be foolish. The way he is as a runner, we have to take advantage of that. He strikes fear into defensive coordinators when he runs outside. I’m going to let him be himself.”
It sounds good. But Griffin, as himself, averaged 132 rushes per year in his four Baylor seasons. He ran it 120 times as an NFL rookie in 2012, when he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’ll be 24 when next season starts, and has already had two ACL surgeries. Do you really want Griffin to “be himself” if that self wants to get out of the pocket and run so much? I understand Gruden, but I also would want to limit my young franchise quarterback’s exposure to danger in the open field—unless he was committed to sliding at the first sign of trouble, which Griffin hasn’t shown a willingness to do consistently.