2012 Washington Redskins Mock Draft: Going All-in on RGIII Could Be Disastrous

The Washington Redskins are at or near the top of most people's lists of the teams most interested in trading up to acquire the St. Louis Rams' second overall pick and the rights to draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin, but in the Redskins zeal to obtain a franchise quarterback they may be cutting off their nose to spite their face.

There's no denying that the Redskins have a need at the quarterback position, as the two signal-callers currently on the roster—John Beck and Rex Grossman—are journeymen at best and neither quarterback threw more touchdown passes than interceptions last year as the Redskins lurched to a 5-11 record.

You also can't deny that Griffin is an immensely gifted young athlete, as the 6'2" 223-pound junior underscored the talents that propelled him to almost 5,000 total yards, 47 touchdowns and the Heisman Trophy in 2011 by displaying his blazing 4.41 second speed in the 40-yard dash at last week's NFL Scouting Combine.

However, the number of teams with a need at quarterback, Griffin's scintillating showing at the combine, and the relative ease with which high picks can be traded under the new collective bargaining agreement, have combined to skyrocket the price of the "Griffin pick" into king's ransom territory, as reported by the NFL Network's Gil Brandt via the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

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From what I've heard, the Rams could be looking for an exchange of firsts this year and two other firsts,

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While a sticker price that staggering may be enough to leave some executives shaking their heads, the Redskins have not been scared away and are reportedly preparing a huge offer for the Rams, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

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The Washington Redskins are prepared to part with two first-round draft picks, plus other selections in the early and middle rounds, to secure the St. Louis Rams’ No. 2 pick in April’s draft and land Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

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However, as badly as the Redskins need a franchise quarterback a team with as many needs as Washington has may find that paying such an exorbitant price to get one can easily backfire. Even if Griffin plays as advertised, he may find it difficult to succeed behind a mediocre corps of wide receivers and an offensive line that allowed 41 sacks a season ago.

As successful as Griffin was last season he remains a spread quarterback who may well take some time to acclimate to the National Football League. After all, for every Cam Newton and Peyton Manning there's a Ryan Leaf or Tim Couch.

It's bad enough for a franchise's future when a top-five pick is wasted on a quarterback who fizzles in the pros, but if Griffin were to flop then the magnitude of the mistake would be amplified exponentially by the cadre of draft picks it would cost Washington to obtain him.

This isn't to say that Griffin won't be a great quarterback in the NFL, and knowing team owner Daniel Snyder's penchant for making big splashes, the Redskins are probably the frontrunners to pony up and pull the trigger on a trade for Griffin. However, before Redskins fans pop the cork on the champagne they may want to take a moment to consider what they're wishing for.

Because for better or worse, they just might get it.

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