The rise and fall (and possible rise again) of Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III will someday make for an interesting book. For now, there are still a few chapters left to be written in the saga of a player who went from being one of the stars of the 2012 NFL Draft to being a backup for the team that traded quite a bit to pick him second overall.
That doesn't mean his story won't affect the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft.
MMQB.com's Peter King recently examined quarterback prospects for next year's draft, and Griffin's struggles to adjust to the pros could hamper some -- notably, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston, if they declare early -- who are equally adept at running the ball as they are passing it.
"I think we're slowly, slowly going back to the age of pocket quarterbacks," NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt told King.
"What we're seeing this year is the incredible erosion of the running quarterback," added former NFL general manager Bill Polian.
Strong words that could have a far-reaching impact this spring.
Mariota's best trait is his outstanding athleticism, but questions remain about his ability to adapt as a pocket passer. Those issues in the pocket are not really much of a concern for Winston, but his baggage away from the football field could bring down his stock.
The result? Teams might be scared to pay high prices to move up to select Mariota or Winston.
It remains to be seen if either will go through the draft process in 2015, but it's safe to say there will be plenty of debate over each when that time comes. Fair or not, interested teams might wind up a little gun shy in paying a hefty price to get either of them, thanks in part to Griffin's struggles.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
