The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Back in September, ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer said that Robert Griffin III’s development as a pocket passer was his No. 1 storyline in the NFL this season.

“[If] he doesn’t develop this year, and if he doesn’t buy in, and if it is like pulling teeth to get him to play the way they need him to play to win, then you have to start talking bust,” Dilfer told Colin Cowherd after the Redskins’ Week 1 loss to Houston. “But if he does evolve, and if he does buy in to a system playing football that emphasizes his unique talents, which he has, but he lets all of those talents come out and he trusts that over a few years he’ll grow more comfortable in the pocket, now we can be talking about a perennial Pro Bowler. I don’t think there’s anything in between. I think it’s high ceiling, low floor with RGIII.”

With Griffin’s career path continuing to inch closer to the floor, Dilfer joined ESPN 980′s The Sports Fix with Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro on Tuesday to discuss the Redskins quarterback.

Dilfer called Kyle Shanahan “one of the most brilliant football minds” in the league and said Griffin would be more successful running the offense he did in his rookie year, but he also didn’t rule out Griffin eventually finding success as a pocket passer in Jay Gruden’s offense, without the increased risk of shortening his career.

“There’s no reason why a guy with Robert’s talent and his mind can’t learn all the things you need to learn to be a pocket passer,” Dilfer said. “But it takes a ton of work. It takes a ton of buying in. It takes a lot of lonely moments in the offseason when you could be flying around in private jets and doing fun things. It means doing boring things, and hard things that no one’s going to pat you on the back for. And that’s where this conversation needs to go.”


Dilfer talked a lot about the importance of Griffin “buying in” and putting in time during the offseason, and he said the Redskins should invest everything in developing Griffin as long as he continues to do so. Dilfer also made it clear that if he owned the Redskins, Griffin would be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“If you’re an owner and I drafted him and I plan on keeping him, I’m telling my coach, ‘Play him, develop him,’” Dilfer said. “So I don’t blame Dan [Snyder] if he’s doing that. My point is this: If you guys care about being 6-10 at the end of the year, 7-9, making a real run at 7-9, or do you care about getting the most out of a guy that could possibly be your franchise quarterback?”

Dilfer’s ESPN colleague and fellow Super Bowl-winning quarterback Steve Young recently said that he’d talked to coaches who said Griffin wasn’t putting in the time, but later backtracked on those comments. Dilfer suggested that Griffin’s best days could still be ahead of him.

“Kids do change,” Dilfer said. “What you are at 24 or 25 is very different from what you are at 27, 28, 29…. I think part of this [is] we might just be expecting too much from a young player too early, and especially with brokenness. He’s broken right now. When you go through this, it crushes your spirit. And when you’ve got to fight to dig yourself out of that hole that you put yourself in, to a certain degree, there’s a lot of growth that comes in. It would not surprise me if Robert goes somewhere else and is a star in this league because he figures it out, and somebody else has a little more patience with him.”


Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher also suggested that the Redskins exercise patience with Griffin during an interview with the Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan.

“I just know right now that I’ve seen this kid throw,” Cowher said Tuesday. “I think that he can be a quarterback in the National Football League.”

When asked what route the Redskins should take to move on from Griffin and improve next year — whether by taking a quarterback in the draft or addressing issues along the offensive line — Cowher cautioned against giving up on Griffin.

“The other element of this is, this is [Griffin’s] first year in the system,” Cowher said. “I would encourage them to be very careful about making a rash decision when you don’t have to. If you have this quarterback for another year, why are you going to get rid of him? Unless the dynamic is so damaged … give him a chance. The kid has been humbled. Give him a chance to come back into camp. Why get rid of the kid in the fourth year when you don’t have to? So, I would encourage them, next year, that if you want to make sure you cross that bridge and cut it off, so be it, but make sure you have a plan in place.”

“Kids do change,” Dilfer said. “What you are at 24 or 25 is very different from what you are at 27, 28, 29…. I think part of this [is] we might just be expecting too much from a young player too early, and especially with brokenness. He’s broken right now. When you go through this, it crushes your spirit. And when you’ve got to fight to dig yourself out of that hole that you put yourself in, to a certain degree, there’s a lot of growth that comes in. It would not surprise me if Robert goes somewhere else and is a star in this league because he figures it out, and somebody else has a little more patience with him.”

markshark84 wrote:If there is anything I agree with in this article it is that Kyle Shanahan is an excellent OC. I have always maintained that and said this multiple times on this site --- both during and after his tenure in DC. In fact, I would rank him in the top 5 currently in the NFL. I am not sure how he would do as a HC, but it takes tremendous talent to be successful in multiple places in the NFL on a consistent basis. He was very successful in Houston, as well as in DC (by creating an offense) when he didn't have a limping QB, and is again successful in Cleveland.

markshark84 wrote:We had a good thing in DC, but the majority of fans are sheep. People thought getting rid of the Shanahans was a great idea (citing ego, record, and other non-relevant items) ---- based on information given by the only person with authority to do so; the owner. The best players on our roster remain from their time in DC. I still would LOVE to know who was the true force behind the RGIII pick (and there are only a couple media sources I trust --- none of which have provided insight).

markshark84 wrote:But it highlights once again the cancer that is our owner.

StorminMormon86 wrote:Kevin Sheehan pretty much thinks the worst thing this franchise has ever done under Snyder was fire Shanahan. And he brought up a bunch of good points on the radio.

riggofan wrote:Did it in Houston. Did it in 2012 here. And doing it in Cleveland. People were BRUTAL on him here and what was their big complaint? He's the coach's son.

Yeah I've been thinking about that too. I still think Shanahan deserves credit for righting (or trying to) right the ship, show Snyder how to run a professional organization and build a football team. Much like Marty was doing.

cowboykillerzRGiii wrote:^ it WAS the same knee actually..

I think that Shanny and co stunted his growth by not developing him as a qb better.

Even in 2012 people forget we were 3-6 and Shanny already in "evaluation" mode.. he had given up on the season and the team- shouldered by RG3 took us to the playoffs IN SPITE OF Shanny.

Kyle is an effective OC- but wasnt as good here. I attribute that to the imbalance of- well the checks and balances of the coaching staff. Having daddy as HC and "buddies" as assistants it was a futile system. I know I wasnt the only one who was screaming at the tv in his time here, "RUN THE F'N BALL"!!!!

StorminMormon86 wrote:Kevin Sheehan pretty much thinks the worst thing this franchise has ever done under Snyder was fire Shanahan. And he brought up a bunch of good points on the radio.

markshark84 wrote:If there is anything I agree with in this article it is that Kyle Shanahan is an excellent OC. I have always maintained that and said this multiple times on this site --- both during and after his tenure in DC. In fact, I would rank him in the top 5 currently in the NFL. I am not sure how he would do as a HC, but it takes tremendous talent to be successful in multiple places in the NFL on a consistent basis. He was very successful in Houston, as well as in DC (by creating an offense) when he didn't have a limping QB, and is again successful in Cleveland.

We had a good thing in DC, but the majority of fans are sheep. People thought getting rid of the Shanahans was a great idea (citing ego, record, and other non-relevant items) ---- based on information given by the only person with authority to do so; the owner. The best players on our roster remain from their time in DC. I still would LOVE to know who was the true force behind the RGIII pick (and there are only a couple media sources I trust --- none of which have provided insight).

But it highlights once again the cancer that is our owner.

Deadskins wrote:

StorminMormon86 wrote:Kevin Sheehan pretty much thinks the worst thing this franchise has ever done under Snyder was fire Shanahan. And he brought up a bunch of good points on the radio.

No, it was firing Marty.

SkinsJock wrote:I disagree that having Mike Shanahan was a big mistake - I do agree that he did not do well as HC but I now believe that despite his assurances, Dan Snyder's meddling created an atmosphere here that made it difficult for any HC to do well

The reason that it was not a mistake IMO to bring in Mike is that it was a step in the right direction, but that's about it

This franchise now needs to take the next step and move Bruce Allen to President and bring in a real NFL GM that has the power to put together a short and long term plan and make Dan Snyder get out of all things to do with players and coaches

Whether that GM will like the fact that Gruden is the HC and was basically hired by Snyder & Allen to fix the mistake that is RG3 is not easy to answer - IMO, Gruden can become a good HC here and should be given a chance - plus he'd be working for a GM with a plan and one that will not be stupid and give away draft picks like Allen & Snyder (Dumb & Dumber II)

this franchise continues to be a huge joke amongst the guys in the know and NFL insiders

Dan Snyder has to take ownership of all that is wrong here

I don't expect Dan Snyder to sell the franchise but the only other way things get better here is for him to stop doing what he's been doing