In a move that will surprise very few people around the NFL world, the Redskins officially parted ways with 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year QB Robert Griffin III. Griffin’s downfall in Washington was an ugly one, as he saw just one game on the active roster in this 2015 season.
A career that started with so much fanfare came tumbling down after an injury suffered in his rookie year during a first round playoff game against the Seahawks. RGIII had taken the league by storm, leading Washington to the NFC East crown, only to see his Redskins career essentially end in his first playoff game.
News expected for a year.
News that would have been unbelievable 3 years ago. https://t.co/IVA6tWAcOt— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) March 7, 2016
By releasing him today, the team avoids a $16.15 million cap hit that would have kicked in after 4 PM on the quarterback for which they once traded two first round picks and a second rounder to acquire.
They now turn to Kirk Cousins to hopefully slow down the QB carousel in Washington. However, Cousins, after leading them back to the playoffs this season could not agree on a long term deal with the organization – and was franchise tagged last week.
The fall from grace for RGII and the impact it had on the team should make Cowboys fans take a good look at what they have in the quarterback position. Tony Romo is only going to be our guy for so long, and should the team miss on drafting his successor much like Washington did when trading up for Griffin III, Dallas could easily fall right back into the quarterback shuffle we witnessed between Troy Aikman and Tony.
It is likely that the selection of that rookie comes in this upcoming draft, even if it is not at the fourth overall pick. Let’s hope the Cowboys find someone that can someday have sustained success in this league – something Robert Griffin III unfortunately never found.
