Report: Jay Gruden is done with Robert Griffin III
If you wondered just how bad the relationship between Redskins coach Jay Gruden and now-backup quarterback Robert Griffin III is, the Washington Post's Jason Reid reveals that it's basically broken. And probably unfixable.
In his story, Reid writes that Gruden is done with Griffin and wants him off the team. It's unclear if owner Daniel Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen agree with Gruden and will back him, but it also seems clear that Griffin's tenure with the team is shaky at best.
Writes Reid:
Through three preseason games and five starts in the regular season, Gruden has seen enough to realize that Griffin is at best a long-term project as a pocket passer. Griffin was too deliberate reading defenses, displayed poor footwork and an alarming lack of pocket presence for a signal-caller in his third NFL season.
Also, Gruden's assessment goes deeper than Griffin's play. He has major concerns about Griffin's decision making off the field, which has come to light through conversations with team officials at Redskins Park.
To Gruden, Griffin seemed more concerned about enhancing his brand than about honing his pocket skills. Often, Gruden rolled his eyes after being informed about the life lessons the 24-year-old offered on social media. Gruden became frustrated that Griffin, even after Gruden benched him, failed to acknowledge his role in his failure.
While former coach Mike Shanahan's future was leveraged to Griffin's success, that doesn't seem to be the case with Gruden. And if Snyder would keep Griffin on the team and discard Gruden in the process, that's probably something Gruden would want to know immediately. Which is probably why this feels like a necessary power move for the first-year coach.
"Considering Gruden's firm stance, though, trading Griffin is the logical option," Reid writes. "And if Snyder and Allen drag their feet or tell Gruden he must give Griffin one more chance, then Gruden may have to come up with an exit strategy even faster than Mike Shanahan did."
So, it seems that the Redskins options are one of the following:
1) Get rid of Griffin and almost certainly lose in the process, because there's little chance they could recoup enough for the loss of Griffin to make the team's original pursuit of him (trading much of its future in order to draft him No. 2 overall) worth it.
2) Keep Griffin and possibly get rid of Gruden. That's not a palatable option, because it again would set the Redskins back as they try to turn around the franchise. For one, it's unlikely a high-profile coach would want to wade into the Washington mess. And for two, the divisive Griffin still would be on the team.
Neither way is a winning strategy, but to me, No. 1 seems like the best option. For the team and perhaps even for Griffin, who should get the opportunity to resurrect his career elsewhere.