RG3 Price Tag Is Steep, But Absolutely Worth it for Washington Redskins

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the St. Louis Rams are looking to trade down and out of the No. 2 overall spot in the 2012 NFL draft:

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The St. Louis Rams have decided to trade the No. 2 pick, league sources said Monday.

According to sources, the Rams already have had trade discussions with the Cleveland Browns (No. 4), Washington Redskins (No. 6) and Miami Dolphins (No. 8), each of whom is scheduled to pick in the top eight in April's draft.

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That being said, Schefter also points out what the Rams want in return:

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The Rams are seeking a deal similar to what the San Diego Chargers got for the rights to 2004 top overall pick Eli Manning, sources said Monday.

Manning was selected by the Chargers with the No. 1 overall pick in 2004 and traded to the New York Giants for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a fifth-round choice.

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So yes, it's quite a steep price to pay for one player, but then again, look how Eli Manning has paid off for the Giants. Two Super Bowl rings, two Super Bowl MVP awards and not one losing season since becoming the full-time starter in 2005 (worst record is 8-8 in 2006 and 2009).

As for the Redskins, one wise strategy must be implemented in order to persuade the Rams to deal with another franchise from the NFC.

In addition, Washington is also battling with the Cleveland Browns, who have two first-round selections this draft, as the best ammo among any team potentially making a move for Robert Griffin III. And speaking of RG3, his potential alone is appealing enough.

For one, not since the days of Joe Theismann have the Redskins had a legit franchise quarterback. And Theismann only started for eight seasons after backing Billy Kilmer but took Washington to two Super Bowls. Yes, both Doug Williams and Mark Rypien won rings as well, but Williams was basically a one-hit wonder and Rypien had a boatload of talent around him.

In other words, if Theismann's leg isn't destroyed courtesy of Lawrence Taylor, the Redskins have increased odds at winning more than two Super Bowls from 1986 through 1991.

So, unless you keep getting a kick out of Gus Frerotte losing a fight with a wall, the Redskins have not had a consistently dominant quarterback under center in over 25 years.

Trading with St. Louis for the No. 2 Spot

In an article by Ashley Fox of ESPN, Fox believes that whoever wants Griffin has to basically give up everything:

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Trade the house. Go Mike Ditka. Rarely is it worth it, but this time it is.

There's nothing left to scare you, not size nor character nor production nor arm strength. Robert Griffin III has the entire package. He can be the face of a franchise. He can be a savior.

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Based on what the Rams are asking for from Schefter's piece, I can't help but agree with Fox because as the NFL has evolved into an even more quarterback-driven league, potential success via trading or the draft is worth a pretty penny.

We've already seen that with Eli Manning and when you think of the consistent and elite franchise quarterbacks since the turn of the century, that has been the catalyst for getting to the Super Bowl.

Before the 2000s came about, pro football was more reliant on balanced offenses who could throw the ball and be effective on a when-needed basis. Now it's tough to make a Vince Lombardi Trophy run without a dominant passing attack that uses a when-needed rushing offense as a counter-balance.

In regards to the Redskins making a deal for RG3, swapping first-rounders goes without saying, and then, more than likely, Washington must include its 2012 second-rounder, third-rounder and 2013 first-rounder.

And because of how much power the Rams hold right now since Cleveland can provide more of an immediate improvement, the Redskins will have to include a defensive player such as corners DeAngelo Hall or Josh Wilson.

Why RG3?

First off, the man ran 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and won the Heisman Trophy over other potential top-five selections in Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson.

Griffin accounted for almost 5,000 total yards in 2011, produced wins over big time college football schools such as Oklahoma, Texas and TCU while leading Baylor to a final 10-3 record. Not to mention, he finished with a 72.4 completion percentage and never threw more than eight picks in a given season.

He's a dual-threat monster with awesome marksmanship, strength and a high football IQ. RG3 can run when he wants to, but he's a pass-first quarterback that is always looking to let his playmakers move the chains.

Griffin's other intangibles as a leader and motivator as right up there with Luck and as for his 2011 numbers, they only appear inflated because of how many points the Bears scored each game. Truth be told, though, Baylor's defense allowed 37.2 points (ranked No. 113) and 477.50 total yards per game (ranked No. 114).

So, Griffin had no choice but to carry the load and work every defense he faced. Otherwise, Baylor had no shot at winning.

In short, RG3 still dominated despite opposing defenses already knowing that shutting him down was the key to defeating the Bears. And yet, they finished 10-3, third in the Big 12 and were No. 12 in the final rankings.

John Rozum on Twitter