Published: March 24, 2015 at 04:18 p.m.
Updated: March 24, 2015 at 09:29 p.m.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden went out on a limb last month to anoint Robert Griffin III as his starter heading into next season, but could all of that change?
Washington's newly appointed general manager, Scot McCloughan, said Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting that he wouldn't rule out taking a quarterback with the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, per ESPN.com's John Keim.
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While McCloughan clarified that the Redskins would need to view a quarterback as the best player available, it's an indication that Washington might have something up its sleeve if, say, Oregon's Marcus Mariota fell to the Redskins.
It's also a clear signal that teams interested in moving up in the draft for a passer need to climb ahead of Washington -- or seek them out in a trade. That echoes what we heard from NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, who told NFL Network on Sunday: "Do not be surprised if the Redskins' No. 5 overall pick is open for business."
After shipping a boatload of first-round picks to the Rams for the right to draft Griffin in 2012, Washington would do well to fleece another quarterback-needy team while rebuilding their own roster.
Still, there's mounds of evidence that Gruden is far from content with Griffin as his starter. The coach's West Coast scheme feels like a better fit for backup Kirk Cousins, and we don't view Gruden's endorsement of RGIII as impenetrable. Especially after McCloughan acknowledged Tuesday that Washington has yet to decide on picking up Griffin's fifth-year option, which would need to be done by May 3. "We've had some early discussion on it," McCloughan said, per CSN Washington. "We're still talking it through."
That's a decidedly lukewarm approach to take with your franchise quarterback, but it's painfully clear Gruden was never sold on Griffin playing that role to begin with.
If Gruden and McCloughan have quietly fallen for one of this year's draft-eligible passers, Washington sits in a good spot -- a rare spot -- to remake the position. And if they need to swing a trade of their own to switch spots with the Titans at No. 2, the Redskins possess the perfect bait to help grease the skids for a swap: Robert Griffin III.