Robert Griffin III to Redskins: Why Elite QB Play Will Now Dominate NFC East

The Washington Redskins went out on a limb Friday night and swung a big-time deal with the St. Louis Rams to acquire the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and all but ensure they can draft Baylor's Robert Griffin III. It was a considerable risk, as the 'Skins surrendered the No. 6 pick in this year's draft, their second-round pick this year and their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. 

That's a lot to give up for a player who has yet to take a snap at the NFL level, but clearly Washington believes Griffin is the kind of guy who won't wilt under that kind of scrutiny.

With that move the NFC East has quickly become the home of elite quarterbacks in the NFL. With Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Eli Manning and (presumably) Griffin, the division is absolutely loaded under center.

When you break things down by the numbers, the NFC East clearly has the best quarterback group in the league.

Romo was excellent for the Dallas Cowboys in 2011. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,184 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. His passer rating of 102.5 was a career-high and ranked fourth in the NFL out of the 34 quarterbacks who qualified.

Vick had an up and down season for the Philadelphia Eagles while fighting through injuries and a concussion. He played in 13 games and completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 3,303 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His quarterback rating of 84.9 was average, but when healthy in 2010 his numbers were far better.

In 2010 Vick played in 12 games and completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,018 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer rating was 100.2.

I don't think I really need to go into much detail about what Manning did for the New York Giants, but just remember that he led the team to several huge fourth-quarter comebacks, including a stunning performance against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. 

Manning now has two Super Bowl rings. Not many quarterbacks in NFL history can claim that.

Meanwhile, Griffin dominated college football in 2011, winning the Heisman Trophy and displaying unparalleled athleticism. While it will surely take him a while to adjust to the NFL, he will be a heck of a lot of fun to watch. 

With Griffin added to the mix the NFC East has quickly become the cradle of quarterbacks in the NFL. What was already an excellent division just got that much better.