:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4988083/gyi0062076023.0.jpg)
There is a lot to be thankful for this time of year.
Family, friends, health and well-being.......the Redskins in the playoff picture this late in the season.
Well, you can add another to the list. As Redskins fans, we should be thankful that we drafted our quarterback, you know, the guy who is the most important piece of a franchise, last year, and not in 2013.
Let me explain why.
The 2012 quarterback class was a damn good one. It's pretty easy using hindsight to come to this conclusion, but taking that out of the equation, you could see top talent in the 2012 NFL Draft before these guys ever set foot on a football field. Now, some of these prospects have surprised with how fast they have matured into the position, and how quickly they have been able to turn around struggling franchises.
Luck, Griffin and Wilson have been able to take teams that were all below .500 last season, and propel them to new heights. Griffin especially, has been able to give hope to a fan-base that was on life support. Luck has taken the worst team in the NFL in 2011, to a playoff team in 2012 - remarkable. Wilson, although he hasn't received the hype of the previous two, has played well as of late, and is one of the main reasons the Seahawks are in the hunt for a wild-card spot.
So, aside from the obvious(RG3 of course), why should Redskins fans be thankful that we got our quarterback in 2012, opposed to waiting (and probably giving up far less) for one of the quarterbacks in the 2013 class?
The 2013 quarterback class is a mystery to us all. I do not see one sure-fire, can't-miss prospect. The top quarterbacks for the 2013 class look like this:
- Matt Barkley (USC) 6' 2" 230
- Geno Smith (WVU) 6' 3" 220
- Tyler Wilson (Arkansas) 6' 2" 218
- Aaron Murray (Georgia) 6' 1" 212 *junior
- Landry Jones (Oklahoma) 6' 4" 220
- Tyler Bray (Tennessee) 6' 5" 215 *junior
Assuming the Redskins would have by-passed the quarterback position in 2012, and addressed other needs(while saving all those picks they gave up for Robert Griffin), we a.)would probably not be in a position to make the playoffs, and b.)would likely again be picking in the top 15. These would be the quarterbacks we would have to choose from.
I don't see a day-one, impact starter on this list. Hell, I don't even see a Sam Bradford type prospect. What I see are a bunch of prospects who have potential to become good, not great players. Now, I can easily be proven wrong here, like so many were proven wrong with Aaron Rodgers, but I'm just not seeing greatness. What I am seeing are a few guys, who if they step into the IDEAL situation, and are not rushed along, may develop into the next Joe Flacco, Josh Freeman or Tony Romo. Two key words to keep in mind here are Time and Patience.
So, lets imagine that we got to choose one of these young quarterback prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft. We may have a guy like Tyler Wilson or Aaron Murray..................great! These two really knock my socks off! All kidding aside, how long until these players become relevant? Answer is, we just don't know, but I don't see immediate greatness.
Let's now ponder the present.
We got one of the best quarterback prospects at the time when we needed one the most. We gave up a lot to get him, and some will argue that it may have actually set this franchise back a few years, but I'm here to say that waiting, and taking a gamble on one of the 2013 prospects would have set us back even longer.
I'm not a gambling fool like I was in college, but if I had to put all my life savings behind a quarterback to lead us into the future, I'd be happy to stake by meager bank account on one Mr. Robert Griffin III, over the likes of anyone on this list.
............................and for this, I am thankful.