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In Ron Jaworski's annual countdown of the NFL's top 32 quarterbacks, Redskins signal caller Robert Griffin III ranked 13th after his remarkable rookie season. Here's what Jaws had to say about Griffin on Wednesday's edition of SportsCenter:
"It’s rare when I evaluate rookies so highly. I believe in performance over time. But in the case of Robert Griffin III, his individual play and his overall impact was so extraordinary, that he comes in at No. 13 on my quarterback big board.
"As spectacular as RG III can be with his legs, it’s his passing ability that gives him a chance to be a very special player. That’s why I have him ranked 13th after just one season. The question is how will the Redskins handle RGIII after his major knee injury? Will we see as much read-option? Or will Mike and Kyle Shanahan incorporate more NFL drop-back passing concepts? It will be a delicate balancing act, and I’m very intrigued to see it."
I don't always agree with Ron Jaworski. However, I do respect him for his knowledge of the game as well as his work ethic that's demonstrated by watching and analyzing hours of game tape. I also commend him for going against his grain and placing a quarterback uncomfortably high on his rankings after just one season.
The problem is, by process of elimination, Griffin ranks below three other first-year starters in Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and Colin Kaepernick, so how much is he really stretching in Griffin's case?
Though there's all the potential in the world for the three youngsters that Jaws ranked ahead of Griffin, I don't think that their bodies of work surpass what Griffin has done thus far. And if you re-examine Jaws' words, he explains his rankings center more on what quarterbacks have already done instead of what they're capable of doing. That's the only reason I could live with Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub also being ahead of Griffin on any hierarchy of quarterbacks since they have more experience under their belts.
In either case, Griffin deserves a boost in his ranking.