The long-range quarterback answer for the Rams might have been among the 300 or so prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week. Armed with the 15th pick over all in next April’s draft – and two high picks in the second round – they are well positioned to come away with Paxton Lynch of Memphis or Connor Cook of Michigan State.
Alas, a more immediate, enticing quarterback option that could pack the sort of on-field and off-field glamor punch befitting L.A.’s newest pro sports team awaits in Washington D.C.
But more on how good Robert Griffin III would look in the Rams Blue and Gold running wild at the Coliseum in a bit.
Based on the workouts of Lynch and Cook last week in Indianapolis and the strong bodies of work they assembled in college, their NFL futures seem bright.
But it might take a season or two before either makes his mark.
If they ever do at all.
There is another path available, and it could provide swifter answers to the Rams quarterback quandary.
And that means signing RG3, who most certainly will be released by the Washington Redskins next week.
It’s risky. It’s audacious. It might even be a bit presumptuous.
But it’s also so perfectly L.A.
Sure, the Rams could take the safe route and draft either Cook or Lynch and develop them behind incumbents Case Keenum or Nick Foles their first year in Los Angeles. Then hope in a year or two they are ready to take over.
Safe, yes.
Not so sure about the sizzle factor, though.
Especially when so much splash and upside can be cornered by one courageous roll of the dice.
The Rams showed incredible boldness by pushing all their cards to the middle of the table in their quest to move back to Hollywood. It’s a fearlessness they need to seize and harness and utilize on the personnel side of things as well.
And RG3 is nothing if not a daring move.
One that requires the Rams betting that a full year off and 3,000 miles removed from the Washington D.C. soap opera has left RG3 able and ready to rebuild himself as one of the bight young stars in the game.
And the conviction that by surrounding him with a strong supporting cast that includes dynamic young running back Todd Gurley – the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year – playmaker Tavon Austin, an improved offensive line and a dominant defense, RG3 won’t have to carry the Rams as much as he just needs to compliment them.
The best year of RG3’s career came in 2012 when he and Redskins running back Alfred Morris beautifully played off each other. Operating out of the zone-read offense, the powerful legs of Morris and RG3 combined for 2,431 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, and their running threat helped open up the passing game for RG3, who threw for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns and compiled a 102.4 quarterback rating.
It was a spectacular rookie season to be sure, one in which Griffin became the youngest player in NFL history to post a perfect 158.3 passer rating while throwing for 200 yards and four touchdowns against the Eagles. He established rookie records for best QB rating and best TD-to-interception ratio. The Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since 2007, and RG3 was voted team captain by his peers and named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Now imagine RG3 and Gurley operating in the same backfield along with the threat that Austin poses? Or all those deep ball opportunities that will emerge on play action passes in which the strong-armed RG3 is so perfectly built to exploit?
Yes, there are a number of reasons why the Rams should steer clear of RG3:
After putting together his Rookie of the Year season in 2012, Griffin’s play slipped to the point he lost his job to Kirk Cousins last season.
The NFL’s immediate and ferocious answer to the zone-read offense RG3 excelled his first two seasons left him a beaten, battered shell of himself.
The last on-field glimpses we saw of RG3 in the Nation’s Capitol revealed a player both physically and mentally drained.
As good as that 2012 season was, it also set the stage for three ensuing years of drama thanks to a late-season leg injury that Griffin obviously returned too soon from. The resulting dysfunction pitted coaches and player and team doctors against each other, with everyone absorbing and deflecting the blame for letting RG3 back on the field too soon.
And it ultimately sent the Redskins scurrying around changing coaches and offensive systems figuring out ways to best protect and utilize their prized young quarterback.
But when the finally settled on Jay Gruden, it created the worst-possible situation for RG3: He was a square peg in Gruden’s drop-back pass offense. But his teammates, Kirk Cousins, was built perfectly for it.
Which is why the Redskins just slapped Cousins with the franchise tag, and why RG3 will soon be out of a job.
For all those reasons, any team – including the Rams – should be wary of the former Baylor great.
But while others see a closed door, I see an opportunity.
RG3 did not play one snap last year, which means his body is as healthy as possible. So many of his problems in Washington D.C. Were related to the injuries – a fact even Gruden supported – so it only stands to reason a healthy bodied RG3 might also be a spiritually sound RG3.
The breath of fresh air created by moving out of the drama of Washington D.C. to the warmth and promise of the Los Angeles Rams might just be the key that unlocks the trapped star still residing in RG3.
It likely won’t require a monumental investment. RG3 is so eager to re-establish himself, he’ll no doubt be interested in a short-term show-me contract that allows him to regain his footing while maintaining the flexibility to tap back into the financial market sooner rather than later.
That makes sense for the Rams, who can then use the 15th pick on a much-needed wide receiver to compliment Austin – and RG3 – and circle back to a development quarterback in the second or third round.
If it works, the Rams might have found the 26-year-old quarterback of their present and future.
If it doesn’t, they can easily and quickly move on.
In this case, the reward is worth the risk.
The Rams need to go get RG3.
