The question was direct and answered in succinct fashion, leaving Mark Brunell among those who have little confidence in Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith asked Brunell, “Do you think RGIII is good enough to succeed in the NFL?"
Brunell, once upon a time a supporter of Griffin – someone he has said he hopes does well – responded like this:
“I do not,” Brunell said (you can read all that he had to say here, courtesy of the Washington Post). “From what I’ve seen the last couple of years — listen, he burst onto the scene and that was impressive — but like I said, he has gone backwards. It’s not just his decision-making, it’s his fundamentals. He’s taking too many hits, he’s quick to get out of the pocket. Last year was difficult to watch. Does he have the skill set? Yes, but we haven’t seen it in some time.”
That leads to another question: Does it matter what Brunell says?
To a degree, yes. Brunell is one voice, one opinion, but he happens to share a sentiment with others I’ve spoken to – and it’s not as if the organization is fully sold that Griffin’s game has returned, or will return, to that of his 2012 level. Brunell also played the position, endured a transition from scrambling quarterback to more of a passer and obviously knows the game -- his credentials are far superior to almost anyone who wants to knock him for this opinion. Maybe his Redskins tenure did not go how fans would like, but he was a respected quarterback for some time. He also happens to love quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh, for what it’s worth -- and in multiple conversations via phone or by text, he is rooting for Griffin.
Thing is, Griffin controls the ultimate fate of his game. He has a chance to flip the narrative; he has a chance to remind everyone of what he’s capable. Now that he’s entering his fourth season, it’s time for him to do so. I’m glad we’re less than a month from training camp so we can move past the talking and get to what truly matters: What Griffin actually does on the field as opposed to what anyone thinks he might do or what he did in shorts and a helmet. This is an organization that has its fingers and toes crossed he will improve -- I'm not sold they're confident it will happen.
I’ve talked to Brunell a couple times about Griffin over the past year, once in the spring of 2014 and again after they hired Cavanaugh in January. The first time, Brunell remained upbeat about Griffin’s future saying, “He can get there. He’s one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and he got there because he’s a great athlete and he’ll be coached well. He’ll be fine.”
And in January he wasn’t quite as upbeat, pointing to Griffin’s footwork in the pocket among other issues. Brunell did say that Griffin could still develop instincts in the pocket (not everyone in the organization agrees) and that he could “get there.”
But between then and now, Brunell watched more film and reached a different conclusion. In essence, he picked apart Griffin’s fundamentals in the pocket, a sticking point for coaches last season. It’s tough to become a consistent passer without good fundamentals and the only way to then survive is by making plays outside the pocket (with his arm).
“There were a series of things that were wrong with RGIII, and it really starts with his fundamentals,” Brunell told Smith. “Unfortunately for the young quarterback, he has gone backwards.
“From what I’ve seen the last couple of years — listen, he burst onto the scene and that was impressive — but like I said, he has gone backwards. It’s not just his decision-making, it’s his fundamentals. He’s taking too many hits, he’s quick to get out of the pocket. Last year was difficult to watch. Does he have the skill set? Yes, but we haven’t seen it in some time.”
Again, take it for what it’s worth. Fellow guest Damien Woody disagreed with Brunell, by the way. He fingered the offensive line as the culprits (as I’ve said in the past, the coaches put perhaps half of the 58 sacks allowed last season on the protection; you can disagree or argue, but that’s their assessment but they also rightly felt the line needed to be upgraded and will have two new starters). Both Woody and Brunell agreed Griffin needed more help from his supporting cast – should that be the case for a guy who once was the No. 2 pick in the draft?
Regardless, that’s the reality. And the Redskins have done a better job this offseason of filling out their roster, investing heavily in the defense and proclaiming a strong commitment to the run game. They know their quarterback situation – with Griffin or anyone else – demands they be a run-oriented offense.
A last point Brunell made is one we all can agree upon: This is a make-or-break year for Griffin in Washington. We’re past the point of waiting and wondering; it’s time now to show. It’ll be all about performance.