Washington Redskins: Why Robert Griffin III Will Be 2013 NFL Rookie of the Year

The Washington Redskins selected Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft to revitalize the franchise, and RGIII will begin that process by being named the 2013 NFL Rookie of the Year.

The Redskins certainly needed an upgrade at the position. Last season, Rex Grossman led the team to a 5-11 record while throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and compiling a mediocre 72 quarterback rating.

Griffin is already an upgrade from Grossman. The Redskins have already named him the starting quarterback for next season and he is impressing his veteran teammates with his knowledge of the playbook and leadership qualities.

Griffin was made the No. 2 overall selection because of his amazing season at Baylor last year which notched him the Heisman Trophy. He threw for over 4,000 yards, 37 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He added almost 700 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground as well.

Obviously Griffin won’t perform even remotely close to those passing statistics with Washington next season, because the transition for rookie quarterbacks to the NFL is always difficult.

What his season at Baylor did show the Redskins is that Griffin excels at reading defenses and making extremely smart decisions with the ball while not committing many turnovers. His ability to extend plays and hurt defenses with his feet is just another reason Griffin was the best option for the Redskins.

Griffin will be forever compared to last year’s NFL Rookie of the Year, Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton. Both are strong-armed quarterbacks who have the ability to beat defenses by running the ball as well.

Newton threw for over 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns with an impressive 84.5 rating. He added another 700 yards and 14 touchdowns via the running game. Newton led the Panthers to a 6-10 record, a four-win improvement over the year before.

What Newton accomplished last year may be the greatest rookie season in NFL history, so it is unrealistic to expect Griffin to be able to match his ridiculous numbers in most statistical categories.

However, it is not unreasonable to believe that Griffin could throw for over 3,000 yards and potentially match Newton’s passing touchdown and rating numbers. When it comes to rushing the ball, Griffin won’t come close to Newton’s numbers because he is much smaller and relies on straight-line speed to gain yardage.

The most important thing Griffin can do to quell comparisons to Newton is to improve the Redskins’ record from a year ago in the same fashion. Increasing the Redskins’ total would put the team at nine victories in Griffin’s rookie season and potentially have Washington in the playoff race.

There are not many candidates in Griffin’s draft class that are a threat to steal his Rookie of the Year award. The main competitor would be the only player taken before him, quarterback Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts.

Unfortunately for Luck, he is inheriting a two-win team with a roster in complete disarray and is attempting to replace one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

On the other hand, Griffin is joining a roster that is better than the Colts at just about every position. There are high expectations for Griffin, but it won’t be hard to be better than Grossman was a year ago.

As long as Griffin can stay healthy, he is a lock for the award. He is saying and doing all of the right things at the moment, and his intricate knowledge of the playbook is impressive. The fact that he is already telling offensive players where to line up before the snap is a great sign of things to come.

Things are looking up in Washington. The team finally has the missing piece to what could be a team making a playoff run next season thanks to Griffin’s impressive abilities.

On the individual side of things, securing the 2013 NFL Rookie of the Year award next season is the first step in what could be a very illustrious career for RGIII.

 Follow @Chris_Roling