NFL Draft 2012: 3 Teams That Will Be Fighting to Trade Up for Robert Griffin III

With Andrew Luck essentially a lock to land with the Indianapolis Colts in this year's NFL Draft, many have been wondering what will be the case for Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Quite a few teams will be looking to add a franchise quarterback, and some may see Griffin as being that caliber of a player.

With the St. Louis Rams already having their assumed franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, and the Minnesota Vikings taking Christian Ponder in last year's draft, the No. 2 and 3 picks don't look like potential landing spots for the Baylor Bears star.

The logical place for him to fall is to No. 4, which is the Cleveland Browns' spot. They do have quarterback Colt McCoy, but are still unsure if he will be a franchise quarterback. The Browns will have to decide if this is the case, otherwise they may decide to trade the pick.

Not to mention, either of the previously named teams could also trade down if they get the right pieces in return.

These teams will be looking to trade up as far as they can go in this year's draft to nab a potential piece that will improve their franchise for years to come.

Washington Redskins

With the sixth overall pick in this year's draft, the Redskins find themselves in a good position if they decide to trade up. The Vikings, Rams and Browns would likely be interested in acquiring one of their young running backs in Roy Helu or Evan Royster.

Considering the commodity of the pick, they would also likely have to throw in other pieces, but the Redskins are getting desperate to find that quarterback.

This past season, they went with a combination of Rex Grossman and John Beck—two quarterbacks who should be fighting over the third spot on the depth chart, not starting.

The two combined for 4,009 yards and 18 touchdowns. Neither quarterback is that mobile either, so they hope that adding a guy like Griffin, he would be able to throw for huge passing yards with more scoring, while also being a running threat.

Miami Dolphins

It remains to be seen if the Dolphins will have the eight or ninth pick in this year's draft, as they are currently tied with the Carolina Panthers for that pick.

The Dolphins don't have that many assets they could give up, but given their target, they could give up pieces like quarterback Chad Henne, along with draft picks.

While Henne hasn't fared all that well in Miami, many still suggest that he is a starting quarterback in the NFL.

To say the least, he could at least serve to be a good backup to either the Vikings, Rams or Browns—potentially a starter for the latter two.

After Henne went down last season, the team went with veteran Matt Moore.

He did a fine job, throwing for 2,497 yards with 18 touchdowns, but they could likely get better production out of a more athletic and franchise-type quarterback.

With the team hiring former Green Bay Packers coordinator Joe Philbin as head coach, many think the team can potentially sign Packers' backup quarterback Matt Flynn. If they decide to move in a different direction, they may see Griffin as their guy.

Arizona Cardinals

With the No. 13 pick in the draft, the Cardinals are more of a long shot, especially after signing quarterback Kevin Kolb last year to a three-year, $29 million extension.

They would likely have to depart with Kolb in any move, but teams would likely be hesitant to take him on after he had a sporadic 2011 season.

Through nine games, although he only threw one pass against the San Francisco 49ers back in December, Kolb didn't have a good showing this year. He threw for 1,955 yards with just nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Kolb definitely showed a lot of potential back in Philadelphia, but right now teams may see him as a risk to take on.

He could easily take over the starting position for the Browns, but teams like the Vikings and Rams would see him as an expensive backup option to their designated starters.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.