Now that a backslidingRobert Griffin III has been benched by a second coach in favor of a second quarterback, it no longer seems hyperbolic to suggest the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year's career was placed in jeopardy by the Washington Redskins in a wild-card matchup with the Seattle Seahawkstwo years ago.
Although coach Jay Gruden insisted Wednesday that he hasn't given up on Griffin, it was telling that he struggled for an answer when queried about the quarterback's future with the organization.
The Washington Post's Jason Reid has since reported it's "highly unlikely" that Griffin will return to the Redskins next season.
Having previously supported Griffin at every turn, owner Daniel Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen viewed the Redskins' Week 11 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a "watershed moment," reports The Post.
Now that the decision-makers at Redskins Park have grown disillusioned with the erstwhilefranchise savior, the question is what kind of return RGIII would bring in an offseason trade.
Griffin is set to earn a reasonable $3.27 million in the final year of his rookie contract, with a decision on his 2016 option due by May 3.
After speaking with several league executives, NFL Media's Albert Breer sets Griffin's trade value at a conditional mid-round draft pick that can be upgraded pending a career turnaround.
"He's a car that's been driven off the lot; also, the dynamics of his contract drive his price down," one NFC general manager told Breer. "The biggest keys -- QBs go for more than other positions, and his contract is ticking down to the last year, unless a team wants to pick up that option."
An AFC executive added: "On the high end, the team asks for a two and settles for a third or maybe a fourth."
That's a far cry from the price the Redskins paid when they sold everything but their souls for the right to draft Griffin in 2012.
It's still a price tag that will require a leap of faith for a once-dynamic athlete who has regressedin every way and no longer stresses defenses with his legs.
After playing in a gimmick offense as a rookie, Griffin still hasn't learned to read the difference between receivers who are "college open" versus "NFL open," as NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah pointed out on the Move The Sticks Podcast this week.
Having devolved into a gun-shy signal-caller with a major case of the yips and a desperate need for Quarterbacking 101, Griffin will have to master the basics before he rebuilds his value.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the Week 13 games and reacts to the news of RGIII's benching in D.C. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
