With Kirk Cousins assuming the role as the Washington Redskins' starting quarterback for the 2015 season, speculation has swirled regarding the team electing to cut ties with demoted quarterback Robert Griffin III.
According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, the Eagles are among three teams who would be willing to swoop in and sign Griffin if he were released by the Redskins.
"The most important thing you need to know about Robert Griffin III is that there are a lot of teams interested in him. They don't want to necessarily trade for him, they want to see if Washington cuts him, and if they cut him, you will see teams going after him," Freeman said. "Chip Kelly thinks he can make any quarterback into Joe Montana, so that is a natural fit [in Philadelphia]."
The other two interested teams include the Cleveland Browns and the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys. The Browns are currently rolling with 36-year-old Josh McCown as their starter, with 22-year-old Johnny Manziel filling the backup spot and 27-year-old Thad Lewis as their third stringer. The Cowboys obviously have Tony Romo, 35, as their starter, with 31-year-old Brandon Weedon and 24-year-old Dustin Vaughn occupying the second and third backup positions, respectively.
Then there's the Eagles, who have a crowded group of quarterbacks with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow. Tebow and Barkley will battle for the third string job during Thursday night's preseason finale against the New York Jets, so it is expected that the Eagles will shed one of the two by Saturday's 4 p.m. deadline to trim rosters to 53 players.
Of the three, the Eagles make the least amount of sense given the fact that they aren't in dire need of a viable backup quarterback. If they were to pursue Griffin, it would be as a third-string option to replace either Barkley or Tebow. Even if Griffin were on the Eagles' radar, it would be unlikely that the 25-year-old would accept a job as a third stringer.
The reality for RGIII is that a change of scenery, starting or not, would behoove him at this juncture of his NFL career. The best thing for him would be to turn over a new leaf in a different city with a different organization. Basically, it's time to hit the reset button on his NFL career. If Chip Kelly and the Eagles were to offer him a job, an opportunity to learn under an offensive minded head coach like Kelly would be a foolish one to decline if Griffin is serious about resurrecting his football career.
Griffin holds a $16 million option for 2016, which is completely guaranteed even if he suffers another injury. That price tag makes him almost impossible to trade, so the Redskins have two options: Keep him and take the cap hit, or part ways.
For the Eagles, taking a flyer on a player like Griffin to be your third-string quarterback wouldn't be the worst decision. Despite an injury-riddled and inconsistent first three years in the NFL, he would surely be an upgrade over Barkley or Tebow with his strong arm and ability to run outside the pocket. That being said, it would be shocking for a player with RGIII's ego to accept a job to sit the bench and not be the star, even if he would be paid handsomely to do so.
If Griffin is ultimately cut by the Redskins, it shouldn't take long for him to find a new job. The former number two overall pick undoubtedly has talent, and teams around the league know that. His stellar 2012 season shows what he is capable of, but what's missing is a strong-willed coach who can motivate the fourth-year quarterback. If any coach can accomplish that, it's Chip Kelly.
