The Draft

Qualifier: Unlike other pundits, I trust Holmgren, Heckert, and Shurmer to evaluate Colt McCoy and Robert Griffin III more accurately than I can. Not only have I zero experience, but I also have no access to the player-specific game-tapes they'll be looking at. If this braintrust does anything different than I suggest, they are probably right, and I am probably wrong.

You won't hear that anywhere else...except maybe from Terry Pluto.

I've been defending Colt McCoy from mostly assenine attacks (including some who say the drops were his fault because he throws a less "catchable" ball), and still feel he could become a franchise guy.

But this is despite one physical limitation which I first commented on before he was drafted:

The arm thing. In all of his highlight tapes, I never saw him fire a low-trajectory frozen rope. I have to note here that his passes have been timed with radar guns, and travel at the same 56-58 mph passes guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and others throw. This conflicts with what my eyes tell me, as he still hasn't thrown those aforementioned "stick" passes as a pro.

Still, niether did Joe Montana, ever. Nor Brian Sipe. A number of other pro quarterbacks today (Kyle Orton, Chad Pennington, and others) don't even have McCoy's arm.

I still say that when Eric Steinbach went down, then Massequoi, and especially Hillis, it made an already tough transition to a complex West Coast offense (with no offseason) a whole lot tougher. Then the drops. Those passes were mostly on-the-money; VERY accurate. How can you blame the quarterback for those? Are you nuts?

That latest defense of McCoy was a second qualifier, because if they take Robert Griffin at number four, I'm all for it. As for trading up to number two, I'll leave that to Heckert and company. I mean, #22 AND a second rounder? For two slots? Remember when Butch Davis traded his first and second rounder to move one slot and draft Kellen Winslow Jr.?

But like I said, I'd leave that to the experts.

Anyway, Washington would have to jump four slots, without ammo. They'd have to mortgage their future. Most of their picks this season, or a first and second and then a first next season.

That's Tom Sneider, isn't it? It's more likely he'd go for the Matt Ryan anyway. It would only cost him money, and he can trade his draft picks for some more overpriced old guys.

All that can wait.

Griffin has all of Colt's strengths, plus a very strong arm and the athleticism of an Olympic calibre hurdler. Those assets include great accuracy. Statisticly, he outdid Andrew Luck in every category. (Level of competition, height, etc. yeah so stipulated-Luck is the prototype I get it).

Height: Griffin is about McCoy's height. This is overblown. Delhomme was a half inch taller. Do you really think a half inch is critical? Rodgers is that height, Brees an inch or more shorter. Montana and Young were no taller, Sipe shorter than all of them, Vick is right there too--please just stop it.

Could RG3 adapt to the West Coast quickly? Well, he graduated highschool a year early, then graduated college a year early (closing in on a Post-Grad degree now). This doesn't always translate to the football field, but in Griffin's case, it will.

Griffin relied on his athleticism too much (per scouting reports) until his senior season. Had he come out as a junior, he nevertheless might have gone in the third or fourth round, because he'd already shown flashes of greatness.

As a senior, he came in as a new player. Standing in the pocket under pressure (not taking off until he had to; pocket awareness). Progressing to secondary and tertiary recievers. Shifting his feet in the pocket for good alignment before throwing.

He was always decisive--a very quick release--but now his mechanics were much-improved.

Griffin's arm is exceptionally strong, and he alters his throwing angle to 3/4 or even side-arm to get it past linemen without losing accuracy. On the run, he can throw "all-arm" like John Elway did while scrambling to his left or right, and still get it deep, and on the money. Important: He doesn't lose track of his recievers when he scrambles. He keeps his eyes downfield to track them--many scramblers can't do this. They glance at the pursuit, or look for daylight.

He always had perfect touch and accuracy on short and intermediate throws, but as a senior became much more accurate throwing deep. Looping "bucket" throws (ps McCoy does that well), or darts (which McCoy doesn't do).

The scouting report I read decried his narrow waist. I don't get that.

He's more solidly built than McCoy, and will probably add a few more pounds to play at over 220. When Edgarrin James came out of college, he was about the exact same height and weight as Griffin is now. Of course, running backs don't take near the punishment as quarteracks, right? Just stop it. Please.

They're not going to "kick McCoy to the curb". That's rediculous. He's got a third round salary and does NOT suck. He still has upside. '11 was his SECOND SEASON for crying out loud! RGIII might not even beat him out fair and square of they draft him, either. McCoy could predictably improve in his third season (duh).

Why are these goobers reading so much into the braintrust not declaring McCoy the starter, and bringing in competition for him? That's just common sense! They simply know that he will be good--just not HOW good! Hardly ANY of what happened to this season's offense was his fault.

Some assert that Wallace was better. This is a hallucination. He was approximately the same, with no upside left. You see what you want to see. Cut that out, and think with your brain.

But I digress.

Yeah, I know. They need a right tackle, a speedy reciever, and maybe a running back. They need a true 4-3 outside linebacker (or two) and a better DE to play opposite Sheard. They could really use a good man corner opposite Haden.

I know that if RG3 is in the same situation as McCoy was, he'll be in trouble too...but not as much.

They couldn't attack Griffin as they did McCoy. McCoy is highly mobile, but proved to be less accurate on the run, and wasn't dangerous if he turned upfield to run. McCoy throwing "all-arm" isn't the same as RG3 is. Defenses stacked up and threw the kitchen sink at McCoy.

Griffin has to be contained. Defenses can't show him a gap, or let the edge guys cross anybody's face to get inside the tackles. This guy clocks 4.4 and NOBODY, including most cornerbacks, can run him down from behind. If you're in coverage, exactly when do you let your guy go and try to stop Griffin as he loops toward the line of scrimmage, huh? He gives these guys nightmares.

RG3 has the tools to overcome some of the deep doodoo that McCoy can't, and to force the defense to attack the backfield in a more predictable/manageable way. Even though he would no doubt be behind McCoy on the learning curve, he can scramble for yards and downs until he learns. Mcnabb's first season in Philly was like that.

Further, Massequoi is another guy who gets bashed unfairly...like for being injured. When he was healthy, he got open and he caught the ball. You lump him in with Robiskie simply because they were drafted together. You know that Mangini drafted him, so you close your eyes and lay some of Little's drops on him. It's convenient for you to see things that way. Mangini bad. Heckert good.

Little showed nice progress late in the season, and almost stopped dropping balls. He's NOT just a possession guy, either! He's a potential number one double-coverage demander.

Why do people think we need a big possession guy when that's what Moore does anyway? Have we forgotten Jordan Cameron already? Watson's concussions could wreck him, but Cameron, from what I've heard, looks like a decent in-line blocker and can replace him. Maybe Moore still can too. If not just make him a wide reciever so he can play without tipping off the defense every time he's on the field.

What about Mitchell? It's do-or-die time for him this season. Not just DOA, okay?

There are recievers on this roster, including two potential number one scary deep guys. We're just not SURE of it all.

Griffin's presence could help lure elite free agents here, too. Any guy who thrives on deep passes needs to see a bomber QB. McCoy doesn't do that. Griffin can. Overlooked is the scrambling. "You mean I get ten seconds to get open? You mean the guy on me has to sweat the quarterback too? Where do I sign?"

If they don't trade up, Kendall Wright might be it, too. He's only 5'10", but was also a star hurdler with a 42' vertical. He's amazingly strong for his size, and doesn't get pushed around. Besides, if you try to push him around and he gets by you, you got a big problem. He darts and dashes to get separation.

Most scouts label him a slot guy only due to his stature. Well, is Steve Smith a slot guy? Just wonderin. Put him next to Moore and opposite Little--call it a 3-wide. Fixed!

Also, football evolves. Big recievers have been the thing, and to date everybody wants big cornerbacks to match up with them. Put Wright up against Joe Haden--that's a fight. Put him up against Nambi Asem...you know--and Wright gets OPEN. You hear it here first: Smaller wide recievers will return, and Wright might be the first (after Smith).

That would be perfect, since Griffin and Wright are already a tandem.

Sorry to cut this short (haha).