1. Remember when all that we talked about was the chance that Andrew Luck would be our starting quarterback in 2012? Remember when all that we talked about was whether or not Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan were going to be able to pull off the deal to snag that the Stanford grad--considered by most for quite some time to be the best quarterback prospect since...well, since Peyton Manning? Guess what? Our trade to the second overall pick puts Andrew Luck squarely in our sights. The weird thing about it is that if we end up with Andrew Luck, Redskins fans are going to be--I can't believe I am about to suggest this--let down. At one time, landing Andrew Luck was everyone's wet dream. These days, it is being painted by some as a bit of a nightmare scenario. We are a bunch of big, dumb animals, aren't we?
2. I have long since grown tired of reminding people that the Redskins did not trade for Robert Griffin III. We actually traded for the second overall pick. Most people have assumed--and continue to assume--that RG3 is D.C.-bound. Not me.
3. I have projected Robert Griffin III to Indianapolis for a few months now. When I first started suggesting it shortly after the Super Bowl, people looked at me like I had three heads. Today, I am joined by people who are considered way smarter than me, and in fact I am accused of globbing onto their prediction. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter because...well...nobody cares and my reputation has always been based more on my looks and less on my smarts. This explains why my reputation is in the toilet.
4. Robert Griffin III is the best player in the draft (according to me, which, based on my aforementioned reputation, is worth slightly more than a bag of chips). As you all know, I base this decision on who I think should go #1 overall. It came down to three players: RG3, Andrew Luck and Matt Kalil. I have Kalil as the second-best player in this draft. You have to understand that we are really splitting hairs here--I know how absurd it sounds to rate Andrew Luck third in this draft. Kalil has the ability to be a perennial All-Pro. He will very likely be his team's best offensive lineman on his first day on the job. As good as Luck and Griffin are, Kalil is probably the surest thing this draft has to offer.
5. The Griffin vs. Luck debate is going to go down right there with the Leaf vs. Manning decision. There are plenty of reasons why those situations are different and plenty of reasons why they are the same. One thing is pretty certain: the Colts and Redskins will be judged for YEARS based on who they pick here and how it turns out. This is where it gets at least slightly interesting to me. The Colts have all the pressure on them. Sure, we traded away an unprecedented haul to be in position to take one of these quarterbacks, but we are not picking which one we want. Indy is picking the one they think is best. The Redskins are taking the scraps...haha. It would be slimy to say it, but Bruce Allen could always suggest that the one he really wanted was the one that the Colts took. (Slimy and stupid, really.)
6. Despite my own belief that Robert Griffin will not be there when we pick at #2 overall, I have also fallen under the spell of RG3. Like many of you, I have begun to entertain the visions of Griffin running rampant over our opponents. I have had the conversations with fans of Dallas, New York and Philadelphia about their fear of facing the transcendent talent of RG3. That makes me schizophrenic, bipolar and delusional--although I eagerly await the proper diagnosis from all you armchair psychologists/psychiatrists (which ones can prescribe pills?).
7. I have gotten only two of the last six "best overall" picks right. Mario Williams and Jake Long were my "best overall" players in their respective drafts. So for all of you out there who think that Luck falling to us would be a tragedy, don't worry. I am more likely to be wrong than right (this goes without saying).
8. For months now, the selection of Andrew Luck by the Colts has been considered a sure thing. This explains why we have all so willingly ignored the very real chance that Andrew Luck could be our starting quarterback in 2012. That selection has recently become at least somewhat cloudier as the Colts' front office does its due diligence on Griffin. Most insiders still expect the Colts to go with Luck, but the shadow of a doubt has more than a few Washington fans soiling their shorts.
9. What if Andrew Luck goes second in the draft and develops a real complex about always finishing second to Robert Griffin (Heisman all over again)? What if it gets in his head? What if Luck finishes a close second to Griffin in the Rookie of the Year voting? What if these guys face off in a Super Bowl? What if they are both up for League MVP awards? All of these scenarios assume that both quarterbacks are successful, but each one offers a chance for people to suggest that either the Redskins or Colts drafted unwisely. These two quarterbacks' fates/legacies are forever intertwined, and with it, the fates/legacies of front office personnel and coaches in two cities. There will be at least some pressure on each of these guys to outperform the other--don't believe otherwise. Whether that pressure comes from themselves, their fanbases or their organizations, there is no denying that these two guys are going to be forever linked. Already, there seems to be a growing sense in my mind that Griffin is off to a better start. He has an incredible amount of momentum. These guys will be judged against each other for a long time--as opposed to being judged individually. More then anything else, I am just preparing us all for the continuation of this circus for the next decade. Of course, if both of these guys plays well, smart people will say both franchises drafted well. But only one franchise will have drafted "correctly". And that debate, my friends, is going to be the gift that keeps on giving for a long time.
10. There was a time when the idea of Andrew Luck being our starting quarterback was too good to be true. Now it seems that this idea is in shooting distance and we are all afraid of it. For my part, I hope we get RG3. I think he is the best player in this draft, but because I do, I don't expect him to be available when it is our turn to draft. That makes Andrew Luck the greatest consolation prize in the history of consolation prizes. Let's remember to celebrate no matter what happens on April 26--we're going to get a player that will change our fortunes for the better.