Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The odds of Marcus Mariota developing into the prima donna that Robert Griffin III has become are lower than RGIII’s chances of starting again for the Washington Redskins if this rumor according to John Clayton comes to fruition.
.@ClaytonESPN believes the Redskins will draft Mariota if he is on the board http://t.co/bNnZAF0B6Z #RedskinsTalk pic.twitter.com/2L49GzsdhF
— Rich Tandler (@Rich_TandlerCSN) March 11, 2015
Before Griffin took to the field for the Redskins, he took to his endorsements with Subway and Adidas. There’s nothing wrong with building your brand, but it’s obvious that Griffin’s brand didn’t center around football. Just look at all the marketing ventures Andrew Luck made public following the 2012 NFL Draft; oh wait, that’s right, Luck was focused on getting better at football.
Griffin’s rookie year was nothing but a smokescreen of short passes and risk-adverse play calls. It’s unfortunate that RGIII was frequently injured following his “breakout” first season, but it was telling when offensive linemen became reluctant to help him up after plays as last season wore on.
In terms of disposition, Mariota and Griffin are two completely different people. In terms of remaining upside, they’re also two completely different quarterbacks. Mariota is the BASF version of Griffin — anything RGIII can do, Mariota does better. Mariota is taller, thicker and faster than Griffin. He’s also a few years younger and could be cheaper if he’s drafted at No. 5 versus the abortive blockbuster that was Griffin at No. 2 three years prior.
Just like RGIII, Mariota emerges from an FBS school that didn’t run a pro-style offense. But if the Redskins can once again tailor an attack to ease Mariota into the NFL, year one could be a mild success. If Mariota makes the leap in year two, then RGIII’s inauthentic stint with the ‘Skins can be happily forgotten.
Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter at @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.
