"Rex more impressive than RG3"

[ColtsFTW]

Apparently the guy saying this has been covering the Skins since Shuler was a rookie. Anyway have fun with it!

http://washington.cb...ssive-than-rg3/

[ViriLudant]

Yep, that didn't sound good. The preseason games will be very interesting.

[21isSuperman]

Rex has been in the league for many years and has been in this offense for a while. RG3 has been in this offense for a few months and hasn't had to read a single NFL defense in live action yet. If Rex is more impressive than RG3 at this point, I don't think it's a huge deal. I still think RG3 will start and that the preseason will be invaluable to him (as it is to all players, regardless of their experience). But if Rex is still more impressive than RG3 several weeks into the season, there might be a cause for concern. As of now, I don't think it's a huge deal.

[Dan]

I've heard Griffin is struggling a lot. Really indecisive in terms of throwing/running, when throwing makes several bad decisions. Both of which, granted, are usual for a rookie QB (not that we'd know this year!), but one thing that stands out is people criticising his accuracy. Been very inconsistent particularly when throwing to the left, I've heard.

[funktacious2]

BOOOYA! xD

[MTC]

Just wait til the regular season to see how he performs.

[Captain Americolt]

It would suck so bad if he becomes a bust, even an average QB, because of what they gave up for him.

[chad72]

The NFC East has not been so kind to Michael Vick with respect to dishing hits, has it? You can run away from those guys in Big-12 and even if you get hit, those are not the every day NFL guys you will get hit by. The DEs in the NFL run way faster and the LBs hit way harder too. RG3 will have his hands full playing all those aggressive Ds of the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants twice a year.

The big question is, will Mike Shanahan decide to run what makes RGIII comfortable or will he insist on running something the Shanahans are comfortable, the one that Rex knows well enough in year 3? Plus, Mike Shanahan's threshold is low when it comes to tolerating bad QB play. He may kill a rookie QB's confidence if he plays him half the season and then benches him. Then McNabb would come out smiling and say "I told you so, Mike Shanahan wont change his system for no one", that is the last thing anyone wants.

The success of RG3 depends highly on the patience and flexibility of Mike Shanahan, IMO.

[RGIII]

If you're at all interested in learning what's going on at Redskins training camp then John Keim is the guy at the Washington Examiner that you want to follow. He's very good.

As for Rick Snider, check out what he wrote just a few hours ago: http://washingtonexaminer.com/rick-snider-redskins-future-in-good-hands-with-griffin/article/2504349#.UCMpr8_Egm4

Not quite so doom and gloom. From what I've seen firsthand, Griffin looks like a rookie but he looks legitimately talented (certainly more than any other QB we've had since Snyder has owned the team). The accuracy is not always there like you want it to be but he has demonstrated himself capable of throwing some absolute beauties all over the field. Meanwhile Grossman continues to look like Grossman, he's solid but not impressive and he makes some darned inexplicable decisions every now and then. I've been pretty busy with work the last few days so it's possible Griffin has had a few bad days in a row that has led up to this but otherwise everything I've heard when I haven't been out to see camp with my own eyes has been pretty consistent and cautiously optimistic about Griffin (and just about every unit except the offensive line). It's been a pretty good camp all-in-all.

That said, I might do some catching up in the next few minutes here and I might report back if I see anything interesting. I should also probably note that I'd take any negative coverage of the Redskins on 106.7 (Junkies' station in DC) with a heaping grain of salt. From its inception, that station has positioned itself in such a way as to profit off the doom and gloom nature of many Redskins fans. Its whole marketing strategy revolves around being the anti-Snyder sports station in town and, accordingly, its lineup consists of some of the most insufferable blowhards on Earth. Outrage for the sake of outrage makes for terrible radio if you're not looking to be angry about something all the time.

[21isSuperman]

If you're at all interested in learning what's going on at Redskins training camp then John Keim is the guy at the Washington Examiner that you want to follow. He's very good.

As for Rick Snider, check out what he wrote just a few hours ago: http://washingtonexa...49#.UCMpr8_Egm4

Not quite so doom and gloom. From what I've seen firsthand, Griffin looks like a rookie but he looks legitimately talented (certainly more than any other QB we've had since Snyder has owned the team). The accuracy is not always there like you want it to be but he has demonstrated himself capable of throwing some absolute beauties all over the field. Meanwhile Grossman continues to look like Grossman, he's solid but not impressive and he makes some darned inexplicable decisions every now and then. I've been pretty busy with work the last few days so it's possible Griffin has had a few bad days in a row that has led up to this but otherwise everything I've heard when I haven't been out to see camp with my own eyes has been pretty consistent and cautiously optimistic about Griffin (and just about every unit except the offensive line). It's been a pretty good camp all-in-all.

That said, I might do some catching up in the next few minutes here and I might report back if I see anything interesting. I should also probably note that I'd take any negative coverage of the Redskins on 106.7 (Junkies' station in DC) with a heaping grain of salt. From its inception, that station has positioned itself in such a way as to profit off the doom and gloom nature of many Redskins fans. Its whole marketing strategy revolves around being the anti-Snyder sports station in town and, accordingly, its lineup consists of some of the most insufferable blowhards on Earth. Outrage for the sake of outrage makes for terrible radio if you're not looking to be angry about something all the time.

I was looking forward to hearing your perspective on this. I still don't see why people are so shocked. A veteran who is decent (though by no means great) and has been in the system for a few years is doing better than a rookie who hasn't played a single NFL snap. What's the commotion? For some reason, and it's a mystery to me, RG3 gets a lot of hate on this board.

[The Peytonator]

I can't wait for Preseason Week 3.

Luck v RG3 for over half the game. As my old friend Terrell Owens once so eloquently put it.....

[RGIII]

I was looking forward to hearing your perspective on this. I still don't see why people are so shocked. A veteran who is decent (though by no means great) and has been in the system for a few years is doing better than a rookie who hasn't played a single NFL snap. What's the commotion? For some reason, and it's a mystery to me, RG3 gets a lot of hate on this board.

There's a plethora of reasons why I could see people not liking Griffin and virtually none of them have to do with Griffin as a player or as a person. People form opinions and rooting interests and they want to be right about 'em. It's a lot like what happened with Cam Newton last year prior to the start of the regular season when he showed everyone what he was capable of. I, for one, didn't think his game would translate to the NFL and I felt vindicated when he turned in an awful preseason. It was only a matter of a few weeks before I found myself cursing under my breath when I lost a waiver claim for him in fantasy football.

I probably wasn't so keen on Cam because:

- I didn't know as much about him as I should have to be making judgments.

- I hate Tim Tebow (on a number of levels but mostly because he is a bad passer who gets more credit than he deserves on the field).

- I hate Michael Vick (on a number of levels but originally because he was a bad passer who got more credit than he deserved on the field).

- I dislike Jamarcus Russel (unmotivated to an offensive degree).

- I dislike Vince Young (unmotivated to an offensive degree).

- Cam was supposed to be like those guys (according to a lot of pundits who are far less credible than we often fool ourselves into believing).

Going back to the topic of this thread, though, it looks like most of this just stems from the fact that Griffin has been holding on to the ball for a while in practice. Saw some of that while I was out there, too, and didn't think too much of it. If he wants to take his time to go through his progressions in practice when he's not going to get clobbered that's fine by me. I bet he'll speed up quite a bit when the real pressure is coming, he certainly did in college. Weird as it may sound, I'm looking forward to seeing Griffin get sacked just to see how he'll respond.

I can't wait for Preseason Week 3.

Luck v RG3 for over half the game. As my old friend Terrell Owens once so eloquently put it.....

I'm also looking forward to being in the stands for that one

[shakedownstreet]

i'm sure rex is a great camp arm. he has all the talent to be a star. it's the decisions he makes under pressure that makes him average at best

I should also probably note that I'd take any negative coverage of the Redskins on 106.7 (Junkies' station in DC) with a heaping grain of salt. From its inception, that station has positioned itself in such a way as to profit off the doom and gloom nature of many Redskins fans. Its whole marketing strategy revolves around being the anti-Snyder sports station in town and, accordingly, its lineup consists of some of the most insufferable blowhards on Earth. Outrage for the sake of outrage makes for terrible radio if you're not looking to be angry about something all the time.

:vomit: :barf:

every fanbase has them. fortunately the indy market size isn't big enough to support a station dedicated to negativity. i'm sure markets like phili, chicago, new york, etc have more than their share

[Vance]

What's the commotion? For some reason, and it's a mystery to me, RG3 gets a lot of hate on this board.

Really Sup? It's a mystery? Alright.

[21isSuperman]

Really Sup? It's a mystery? Alright.

I can think of multiple reasons, but I don't think anyone wants to admit to them

[oldunclemark]

Rex has been in the league for many years and has been in this offense for a while. RG3 has been in this offense for a few months and hasn't had to read a single NFL defense in live action yet. If Rex is more impressive than RG3 at this point, I don't think it's a huge deal. I still think RG3 will start and that the preseason will be invaluable to him (as it is to all players, regardless of their experience). But if Rex is still more impressive than RG3 several weeks into the season, there might be a cause for concern. As of now, I don't think it's a huge deal.

Exactly....everyone said RG3 wasnt NFL-ready and he may not be....no shame..no knock

Most college QBs arent.....

Robert G-3 could still be the new-age Aaaron Rodgers....it may just take him a year or two

Cam Newton was a freak....and he was 6-10....He was good..he wasnt all-pro

It is unrealistic to expect an NFL QB to be very good starting from 'day one' as a rookie...

Jay Cutler and Tony Romo are still trying to be very good and they're looking at 30 years old on the horizon

[oldunclemark]

I can think of multiple reasons, but I don't think anyone wants to admit to them

Uh oh, Supe :sadno: ......dont go there!!!!

[21isSuperman]

Exactly....everyone said RG3 wasnt NFL-ready and he may not be....no shame..no knock

Most college QBs arent.....

Robert G-3 could still be the new-age Aaaron Rodgers....it may just take him a year or two

Cam Newton was a freak....and he was 6-10....He was good..he wasnt all-pro

It is unrealistic to expect an NFL QB to be very good starting from 'day one' as a rookie...

Jay Cutler and Tony Romo are still trying to be very good and they're looking at 30 years old on the horizon

I agree. I think we have been spoiled with rookie QBs recently. Cam had a ridiculous season, Dalton, Flacco, and Matt Ryan made the playoffs, Stafford would have had a good year if he remained healthy, etc. For a rookie to come into the NFL and struggle is not bulletin board material in my opinion.

[21isSuperman]

Uh oh, Supe :sadno: ......dont go there!!!!

I don't mean race. People might believe that, but I think it's ridiculous to think race has anything to do with how good of a QB an individual can be. I think it could be jealousy because he is such an athletic freak and more athletic than Luck. He also has a slight arrogance to him (which some could call confidence), and I see how that could rub people off the wrong way. He is in many commercials as a rookie, so that might lead people to think he is full of himself. I've read people on this forum who think that because he wears crazy socks, he is arrogant and doesn't take football seriously. His tendency of celebrating after throwing TDs may come across to some as childish, immature, and arrogant. I don't agree with any of these, but I think those are some of the reasons why people don't like him.

[shakedownstreet]

I don't mean race.

.........

but I think those are some of the reasons why people don't like him.

as colts fans, we'd derive some dirty pleasure from seeing our guy work out & the second guy fail miserably as happened with manning/leaf. it's not based on fact or good will, but it does exist

[RGIII]

I've read people on this forum who think that because he wears crazy socks, he is arrogant and doesn't take football seriously.

This one strikes me as especially funny. Griffin may not be absolutely blowing people away all the time on the field in camp but he has seriously impressed just about everyone with his work ethic, including one of the hardest working guys around in London Fletcher (side note: no one was ever complimentary in that regard when it came to McNabb, the silence on that front said a lot more about the man than we realized at the time). Really, Griffin is just kind of a goofy kid who is unusually at ease in the spotlight.

[The Fish]

If Grossman isnt better at this point, id be surprised. He played in a SB. RG3 isn't my odds on favorite to do that coming out of the NFC east..well ..ever.

[21isSuperman]

This one strikes me as especially funny. Griffin may not be absolutely blowing people away all the time on the field in camp but he has seriously impressed just about everyone with his work ethic, including one of the hardest working guys around in London Fletcher (side note: no one was ever complimentary in that regard when it came to McNabb). Really, Griffin is just kind of a goofy kid who is unusually at ease in the spotlight.

And I think that ease in the spotlight comes from his confidence which people may interpret as arrogance. He has said he wears his socks to show his personality, to show people that he isn't above anyone else, and to keep it loose and light instead of being uptight all the time.

as colts fans, we'd derive some dirty pleasure from seeing our guy work out & the second guy fail miserably as happened with manning/leaf. it's not based on fact or good will, but it does exist

I agree. I wouldn't even say that's just us, I would say that accounts for everyone. I can almost guarantee there are Redskins fans hoping Luck busts just like there were Charger fans hoping Peyton would bust. It's possibly because the two are tied together and will forever be compared. Same thing with Peyton and Brady: one side wants to see Peyton dominate while the other wants to see Brady dominate while sometimes failing to recognize that both QBs are some of the best to ever lace 'em up.

[21isSuperman]

If Grossman isnt better at this point, id be surprised. He played in a SB. RG3 isn't my odds on favorite to do that coming out of the NFC east..well ..ever.

The interesting thing will be to see how much he scrambles and how that is defended. NFC East defenses have shown they are able to handle scrambling QBs (Vick and the Eagles went .500 for in-division games last year) with defenders like Ware, JPP, Tuck, Orakpo, etc. So their ability to contain scrambling QBs will be key to seeing what Washington does with RG3....CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START!!!

[RGIII]

I can almost guarantee there are Redskins fans hoping Luck busts just like there were Charger fans hoping Peyton would bust.

Absolutely there are some like that. My perception is that Skins fans overwhelmingly seem to be a bit more indifferent to Luck than Colts fans are to RGIII but that only makes sense in my eyes because the Colts had a choice. We never had to worry about if our front office was making the right choice because there really wasn't one to be made. We had to make a move to ensure we got whoever didn't go #1 because we needed a QB in a bad way and these are the best prospects we've had a realistic shot at in a long time. Sure, the price was steep but knowing that other teams were not far behind us in the bidding and that we actually pulled off a bit of a coup in beating out the Browns for the pick really takes the edge off.

The interesting thing will be to see how much he scrambles and how that is defended. NFC East defenses have shown they are able to handle scrambling QBs (Vick and the Eagles went .500 for in-division games last year) with defenders like Ware, JPP, Tuck, Orakpo, etc. So their ability to contain scrambling QBs will be key to seeing what Washington does with RG3....CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START!!!

I honestly think that Mike and Kyle Shanahan will take advantage of Griffin's legs in a way that Andy Reid really hasn't with Vick. The running attack is better designed and more complimentary to a scrambling QBs skillset than anything Reid has ever put together (seriously, Shady McCoy has to be - and almost always is - amazing to produce in that offense). We've also seen some real interesting looks in camp that make it pretty clear that the offense is being molded to our new QB's talents.

I can't wait for it to be four hours from now

[21isSuperman]

I honestly think that Mike and Kyle Shanahan will take advantage of Griffin's legs in a way that Andy Reid really hasn't with Vick. The running attack is better designed and more complimentary to a scrambling QBs skillset than anything Reid has ever put together

By this, do you mean more pitch option?

[The Fish]

By this, do you mean more pitch option?

I don't like injury talk (especially if it's the "one hit and he's done" type thinking), but Vick is prone to it, so Reid's game plan has to take that into consideration.

Shanahan has a complicated play book when all is said and done. If it's watered down much it's not really his style. RG3 shouldn't be playing in shotgun looking to scramble or dump off the ball 3 to 7 yards, that's not what you give up your future for. Tebow is the pitch option, skins should of got him and saved the draft picks if that was the goal.

The more I hear the more I'm inclined to think that RG3 has more to lose than gain by starting week one. His skill set's aren't suited to the NFL game yet. Everyone on the field is a superior athlete at the NFL level, making his gifts a liability.

[21isSuperman]

I don't like injury talk (especially if it's the "one hit and he's done" type thinking), but Vick is prone to it, so Reid's game plan has to take that into consideration.

Shanahan has a complicated play book when all is said and done. If it's watered down much it's not really his style. RG3 shouldn't be playing in shotgun looking to scramble or dump off the ball 3 to 7 yards, that's not what you give up your future for. Tebow is the pitch option, skins should of got him and saved the draft picks if that was the goal.

The more I hear the more I'm inclined to think that RG3 has more to lose than gain by starting week one. His skill set's aren't suited to the NFL game yet. Everyone on the field is a superior athlete at the NFL level, making his gifts a liability.

He can throw the ball pretty well though. So even if he doesn't scramble, he can drop back in the pocket and throw the ball. Of course, he might need some time to adjust to the speed of the game and going through his progression and all that, but I think he has the ability to drop back and pass. And not many guys in the NFL can run sub 4.4

[RGIII]

By this, do you mean more pitch option?

I'll admit that I'm not a fan of the option and have advocated against its NFL viability for a long time... but we've seen some of that in practice. We've also seen some seemingly designed interior QB runs. I'm not too terribly thrilled about what could go wrong with those types of plays but I suppose they are nice to at least have in the arsenal.

What I really liked was seeing was some pistol looks. Really seems like our staff is getting creative knowing the kind of dual threat they have and are taking into account the fact that Griffin is not an experienced dropback passer.

[John Waylon]

There's a plethora of reasons why I could see people not liking Griffin and virtually none of them have to do with Griffin as a player or as a person. People form opinions and rooting interests and they want to be right about 'em. It's a lot like what happened with Cam Newton last year prior to the start of the regular season when he showed everyone what he was capable of. I, for one, didn't think his game would translate to the NFL and I felt vindicated when he turned in an awful preseason. It was only a matter of a few weeks before I found myself cursing under my breath when I lost a waiver claim for him in fantasy football.

I probably wasn't so keen on Cam because:

- I didn't know as much about him as I should have to be making judgments.

- I hate Tim Tebow (on a number of levels but mostly because he is a bad passer who gets more credit than he deserves on the field).

- I hate Michael Vick (on a number of levels but originally because he was a bad passer who got more credit than he deserved on the field).

- I dislike Jamarcus Russel (unmotivated to an offensive degree).

- I dislike Vince Young (unmotivated to an offensive degree).

- Cam was supposed to be like those guys (according to a lot of pundits who are far less credible than we often fool ourselves into believing).

Going back to the topic of this thread, though, it looks like most of this just stems from the fact that Griffin has been holding on to the ball for a while in practice. Saw some of that while I was out there, too, and didn't think too much of it. If he wants to take his time to go through his progressions in practice when he's not going to get clobbered that's fine by me. I bet he'll speed up quite a bit when the real pressure is coming, he certainly did in college. Weird as it may sound, I'm looking forward to seeing Griffin get sacked just to see how he'll respond.

I'm also looking forward to being in the stands for that one

Look, when it comes to Cam, hold your judgement. This is the NFL, and sometimes strange things happen, especially centered around the QB position.

Personally, I think anyone expecting him to duplicate last year in in for a rude awakening, and I'll tell you precisely why...

I'm going to throw a name out there. I want you to think about this name for a minute before reading on. If you remember this name like I do, you're certainly going to have a "Yeah... Whatever happened to that guy" moment...

Derek Anderson.

Who almost led THE BROWNS to the playoffs in 2007.

The people who remember him remember him well. If you don't let's take a stroll down memory lane for a quick moment...

The Browns had Charlie Frye starting week 1. It wasn't pretty. In fact, it was crap. Crap so much, they traded him in the middle of the week to Seattle. First and only time a QB has ever started week 1, and been on a new team in week 2. Next week, an unknown named Derek Anderson stars against the Bengals.

The kid comes in and goes 20-33 for 328 yards and 5 touchdowns and only 1 pick and carries the Browns to a wild shootout win over the Bengals 51-45.

The kid went on to have a MORE than respectable season. He went to the Pro-Bowl. It took a Titans win to keep them out of the playoffs. It was really kind of incredible the success he had, coming out of nowhere to have it with a team he shouldn't have had it with.

The next season, Anderson was a trendy fantasy pickup, he was expected to do even better things than he had the year before, and the Browns were a trendy pick to make the playoffs.

And then the season started. And just like someone had flipped a light switch on the year prior, once 2008 rolled in it was like someone had switched it off. He was being picked off regularly, and it was like defenses were waiting for him. The good he had done the season before was like a distant memory, and eventually, Brady Quinn took his job.

Anderson never could duplicate the good things he did in 2007. But the thing is, it's not some mythical happening that can't be explained... It's not some force of nature that couldn't be deterred... See, in 2007, he was ahead of everyone. In 2008 (and ever since,) everyone caught up to him. And this story, it's not just exclusive to Anderson... It happens far more often than not in the NFL, in fact. Let me throw out a few more names who have experienced the exact same thing since then:

Matt Cassell

Michael Vick

Josh Freeman

Curtis Painter

What it is is simple, really. These guys were all thrown into their jobs with nothing to lose. They HAD to go all out. And opposing defenses weren't quite sure how to handle them, so they played it safe, which allowed the guys on that list (Sans Painter, I'll get to him momentarily) to have great seasons that made them seem better than they truly are.

But once defensive coaching staff and scouts had the spring and summer months to sit down and map these guys out to a T, the good quit being so good. Once they had hours upon hours of game film to break down tendencies, and reactions, defenses were ready for these guys. They were prepared. They didn't have to play unsure of what these guys would do. The vast majority of the time, they had a good idea of what the QB's decision would be based on he situation. And when the defense anticipated, they usually won the battle more often than not.

In the case of Painter, we all remember the Steelers game, and the Bucs game and the Chiefs games last season, which all gave us the false hope that "Hey, maybe we aren't completely *ed." The thing about Painter, though, is it didn't take defenses and their coaching staffs more than a few weeks to figure him out, and when they did, it sure got ugly quick...

But I shouldn't have to take us down that section of memory lane, yet.

My overall point being, last season, and especially as a result of the lockout, defenses weren't ready for Cam. They didn't have him broken down to know what to expect. But they've had the time to do so, now. Now I'm not saying that he can't or won't duplicate or outdo his rookie campaign... But looking at history, and knowing the game the way I do, I think it's foolish to expect it.

And quite honestly, I think we'll see the same with RG3. He's a slinger, and he doesn't mind running. Well, he's in the NFC East, so running really isn't advisable, and in the NFL where it's inadvisable to begin with, that's a dangerous cocktail right there. I think he'll have success in his rookie season. I think defenses are going to simplify things to face him, just to make sure they don't make it easy for him to beat them. But next season, when they have statistically broken down his tendencies, then the real test begins. I don't see him as a guy who can really read, and dissect defenses, and burn them for not playing the right coverage the way guys like Manning, Brees, and Brady can. He's more of a "devil may care" style of player, and whereas that's easier to do in college where you're just playing a bunch of good HS players, this is the NFL, and here you play the last decade's worth of GREAT college players.

Since I was away during the leadup to the draft, I want to go officially on the record with what I think of RG3, because I know more than a few people wanted to know. I had people INBOXING me asking me what I thought...

I think he's a good college style QB who is headed for a hard road in the NFL. I think the worst thing a QB can do in the NFL is be unafraid to run. The linebackers and safeties in this league frown upon that, and they just also happen to be the guys who usually lay the biggest hits, too. Have fun with that.

As a person, I am also unimpressed. I get a strange feeling of fakeness with him. Like he's not always the great guy he tries to portray. I think there is a quiet arrogance about him. A self centeredness. He let it show through a bit on his QB Camp with Gruden, which is when I really started to dislike him. Gruden asked him some kind of question about what being the #2 overall pick, but what would it mean to be #1, and Griffin looked at Gruden and said "It doesn't bother me because I know that if I'm taken at #2 I'd still be the guy taken at #1 if they had that pick."

... Seriously? Look, I've no problem with confidence, but let's not be stupid here, Rob. If you truly believe that, to borrow a quote from Walter from "The Big Lebowski", you sir are "OVER THE LINE!" And Gruden's look was priceless. I'll never forget it. Gruden couldn't believe he said it, and couldn't believe he was that full of himself. No doubt the Skins and Crazy Old Mike told him that leading up to the draft, but come on... You can't think so much of yourself that you let the smoke they blow up your rear cloud your common sense.

It was also painfully obvious prior to the draft that he had no intention of coming here. He declined a workout and an interview. Again, seriously? I mean, sure, it was just a formality, but in his position, having someone show interest in him, it was just plain wrong to decline. But the simple fact is, he could never handle the pressure of following Peyton. He didn't even want to try it. That kind of pressure being put down on his head would have folded him up like a piece of paper under a boulder.

Maybe I'm wrong, who knows? I just don't like Griffin, and had the roles been reversed in the draft with him coming here instead, I still wouldn't like him. And even if he goes on to be the next Manning, and Luck the next Leaf, I'm fine with that, because based on all we've seen so far with college careers, maturity levels, and everything else, we will always have made the right decision. No matter how it plays out from here.

Just my

[supremecoltsfan300]

My overall point being, last season, and especially as a result of the lockout, defenses weren't ready for Cam. They didn't have him broken down to know what to expect. But they've had the time to do so, now. Now I'm not saying that he can't or won't duplicate or outdo his rookie campaign... But looking at history, and knowing the game the way I do, I think it's foolish to expect it.

I completely agree. Last year there was a dramatic effect on the passing yards because of the lockout. Defenses were just not prepared. So Newton was helped out there (other qbs too, hence why records were broken). And then you look at when Newton went off. The first two weeks he threw for 400 yards, but after that his yardage each game went dramatically down. Defenses were starting to figure him out then. He had a really great game against tampa, who had a horrible defense. I think Newton will drop off in production. If he doesn't then most likely he's for real.

[Kyle]

RG3 = bust

just my

[Qwiz]

What is fake about Robert Griffin? He's eccentric, highly media friendly, stars in commercials like the next athlete, took the time to get his playbook and learn it immediately and very quickly, and is, as RGIII mentioned, a goofy kid who likes to wear silly socks. The guy is 23 years old, people, not some kind of wily NFL veteran who is faking to gain public attention. There is a lot of bias on this board, unfortunately. The same people criticizing Griffin now would be the same ones praising his greatness just like they are doing Mr. Luck had they drafted the former instead. What did you want him to say to Gruden? " I'm only second-best, but to be drafted first would be my greatest ambition." Come on. I really don't doubt that he didn't care being taken number 2, and even if he did, perhaps it'll bring about some kind of fiery indignance that will lead to a fantastic career ala Tom Brady. A chip on the shoulder is the last thing you want a guy like this to have. Griffin has no greater chance of being a bust than Luck does. Why? Because of how closely and similarly they were projected. Throughout his college career he had one injury. Only one, people. If anything Colts fans should be more concerned about Luck trying to tackle a strong safety after an interception, which, for the new franchise quarterback, would be a very bad idea and a scolding from Pagano and Arians at worst, if he's lucky. I'm not saying that Griffin is at all a superior player to Luck, and to label him a bust this early when he hasn't even played yet is just asinine. With his superior athletic skill, heck, there may be a chance that he surpasses Luck statistically during the course of their respective careers. Come on people, have some class, these are two very good quarterbacks that we are getting the chance to observe, and tearing one down only to build the other up is something people should have learned not to do a long time ago. Manning is on another team now, and the new guy has taken the place of worship and unwarranted buttkissery. Okay, rant done.

[RGIII]

Look, when it comes to Cam, hold your judgement. This is the NFL, and sometimes strange things happen, especially centered around the QB position.

Personally, I think anyone expecting him to duplicate last year in in for a rude awakening, and I'll tell you precisely why...

I'm going to throw a name out there. I want you to think about this name for a minute before reading on. If you remember this name like I do, you're certainly going to have a "Yeah... Whatever happened to that guy" moment...

Derek Anderson.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not yet convinced Cam is going to have a great career but my expectations were so low that he vastly exceeded them just with his rookie campaign. I personally consider Derek Anderson a bit much but I wouldn't be entirely shocked if he had a Daunte Culpepper type career where he just suddenly flamed out (esp. after a knee injury).

He let it show through a bit on his QB Camp with Gruden, which is when I really started to dislike him. Gruden asked him some kind of question about what being the #2 overall pick, but what would it mean to be #1, and Griffin looked at Gruden and said "It doesn't bother me because I know that if I'm taken at #2 I'd still be the guy taken at #1 if they had that pick."

... Seriously? Look, I've no problem with confidence, but let's not be stupid here, Rob. If you truly believe that, to borrow a quote from Walter from "The Big Lebowski", you sir are "OVER THE LINE!" And Gruden's look was priceless. I'll never forget it. Gruden couldn't believe he said it, and couldn't believe he was that full of himself. No doubt the Skins and Crazy Old Mike told him that leading up to the draft, but come on... You can't think so much of yourself that you let the smoke they blow up your rear cloud your common sense.

Griffin knew he was a Redskin at that point. Irsay did his whole song and dance about how he wasn't 100% on taking Luck in public and on Twitter but it was a done deal barring some sort of catastrophe and everyone knew it. Meanwhile, Shanahan has implicated all along that he actually prefers Griffin to Luck and would probably have taken him #1 overall had we held that pick (I shudder to think of the controversy that would have caused). That whole exchange on Gruden's show was basically Griffin not-so-slyly confirming all of this. Gruden was surprised he said it but it wasn't because he thought Griffin was full of it, it was because Griffin slipped up a bit by being so obvious about the situation before it was officially out on the open. That goes pretty strongly against your typical NFL draftee protocol but it's nothing to get upset over.

In fact, here's what Gruden said about Griffin after that segment aired:

"He’s a special young man,” Gruden said. “He comes from great stock. Both his parents are military people. He’s been brought up the right way. He’s sustained the right stuff with all of his success."

Doesn't sound like he came away with a bad impression, does it?

I completely agree. Last year there was a dramatic effect on the passing yards because of the lockout. Defenses were just not prepared. So Newton was helped out there (other qbs too, hence why records were broken). And then you look at when Newton went off. The first two weeks he threw for 400 yards, but after that his yardage each game went dramatically down. Defenses were starting to figure him out then. He had a really great game against tampa, who had a horrible defense. I think Newton will drop off in production. If he doesn't then most likely he's for real.

The circumstances last year were certainly a little strange and the numbers for all QBs to start the season were out of this world. My hopes for RGIII's rookie campaign are a lot more reasonable than what Cam did (I don't consider them to be super-similar players, really, beyond having above average athleticism in a general sense). I'd be thrilled with something like 3200 yards, 19 TDs, and 17 INTs at a 62% completion rate for a rookie campaign. What he does on the ground doesn't matter as much to me but I anticipate that it would compliment those numbers nicely.

RG3 = bust

just my

Hopefully you're wrong ;)

[supremecoltsfan300]

The circumstances last year were certainly a little strange and the numbers for all QBs to start the season were out of this world. My hopes for RGIII's rookie campaign are a lot more reasonable than what Cam did (I don't consider them to be super-similar players, really, beyond having above average athleticism in a general sense). I'd be thrilled with something like 3200 yards, 19 TDs, and 17 INTs at a 62% completion rate for a rookie campaign. What he does on the ground doesn't matter as much to me but I anticipate that it would compliment those numbers nicely.

Those would be great numbers. If he can get to 62% completion percentage as a rookie he'll have a bright future in all likelihood. I'm more interested in if he can stay healthy for all 16 games. He doesn't have a huge frame, and will run outside the pocket on occassion, so he might take some bad hits. If he can get back up from them, or avoid them completely, then I think he'll be a very good qb. At least DC is finally interesting again

[Fx Stryker]

Griffin looks good. I think Griiffin had a pick, but he just made two beautiful plays. Threw it to Garcon twice, and Garcon was his second and third read.

And just audibled out of a blitz.

[Fx Stryker]

Touchdown to Pierre. They just ran the Colts wr bubble screen.

EDIT: RG3 did not throw a pick like I said before.

[RGIII]

4/6 for 70 yards and a TD. Looked great out there, very quick to make his throws, looked like he was going through his progressions with ease, stayed in the pocket and didn't take off with the ball, and threw with good timing and accuracy.

The Bills really didn't get much pressure and it's only the preseason but I feel good.

[Balzer40]

I don't care if RG3 ends up being good or not. I do, however, believe he's going to be knocked down off that pedestal he and the media has put him on. If he ends up having a good career, well good for him, but it is just my belief that he won't.

[coltsfanatic24]

rg3 looked like rodgers out there great poise in the pocket.