2012 NFL Draft: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin III Is Bird vs. Magic

The date is March 21st and the Baylor pro-day workout is underway.  Robert Griffin III displayed amazing physical ability, flashed that magical smile all the while putting on a clinical exhibition. Music played, everyone smiled and had fun, and it was a show that Griffin III choreographed. He was a rock star in the middle of a concert.

The next day in it was Andrew Luck’s turn during Stanford’s pro-day. Luck was fantastic, by all accounts making crisp throws in bad weather. It was all business, no music, and no rock-star atmosphere.  There was simply a quarterback throwing the football, showing his elite level physical abilities. 

On the surface the difference is negligible but truly it is a stark contrast of personality and what each player will pack with him when he makes the trip from college football to the NFL. Griffin is already a star and is the next big thing. Luck is going to be a special player but the level of stardom will be different for him.

It is the closest choice at the top of the draft that we have seen in some time.  Perhaps closer than any other time in the history of the NFL draft. It is tough to find a draft where the level of stardom is as big as it is with each of these players.

Some will point to the 1998 NFL draft when Peyton Manning went number one overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan Leaf ended up going second to the San Diego Chargers. It seemed like a very tough call for the Colts as the choice would change the fate of the franchise.

Behind the scenes the choice started out as a difficult one but in the end something stood out. According to Bill Polian, Indianapolis Colt general manager at the time, Ryan Leaf had the measurables on his side and Peyton Manning had the intangibles going for him.

There were concerns about Ryan Leaf’s maturity. There were reports of Leaf drinking. He was scheduled to meet with the Colts at the combine and simply did not show up for the meeting. Apparently a medical evaluation took longer than it was supposed to and Leaf did not call to inform the Colts he was not coming. 

In the end the Colts did not need him. Peyton Manning’s so-called intangibles made all the difference and we all know how it ended up.

The Colts find themselves staring down another massive decision, only this time both players appear to be perfect. We are not lucky enough to have the ability to see into the future. The point here is that there are no problems with either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Both players have great measurables and great intangibles. 

Both players have their own specific strengths and weaknesses. There are simply no character concerns with either guy and that will make the decision a little more difficult. Throw in the fact that both players are great quarterbacks and the situation gets muddier.

If it were up to me to advise each team as to what to do I would point away from the football field. It is wiser for each team to pick the player that most matches the needs of the fan-base and here is where this situation is perfect. 

You can’t argue that Luck isn’t the perfect fit for the Colts organization and their group of fans. The same thing can be said for Griffin and how he fits perfectly with the Redskin organization and its fans.

Everyone is calling Andrew Luck the next Peyton Manning. This is unfair to both players. There is only one Peyton Manning.  Peyton Manning plays quarterback unlike anyone else and to compare a 22-year-old kid to him is incredibly unfair. There won’t be another Peyton Manning.

It is also unfair to Luck because he is a much better athlete than most people are willing to see. He always appears to be in control and physically looks like Manning on the football field but he is far superior to Manning from an athletic sense. He is more Aaron Rodgers than he is Peyton Manning.

We have all heard the comparison of Griffin III to Cam Newton. This is also a poor comparison, as Robert Griffin III is heads and shoulders above Newton in many ways. He is a much more electric athlete and he is a far better passer.  It really isn’t close and the Newton comparison is completely wrong. 

When someone asks you for a Robert Griffin III comparison, you have to go all the way back to Steve Young.  Yes, I said Steve Young. Young was freakishly athletic as a quarterback and RG III is a better athlete than Young was. Young was cerebral in his approach to the game and RG III is also.

There are many decisions that a team has to make when going through this process.  Some of the decisions have to do with things that happen on the football field. There are other decisions that have nothing to do with football but are just as important.

What will these players do to boost ticket sales and attendance? Let’s not fool ourselves and think that the only thing that matters is on the football field. To measure the impact, we need to examine what Fed-Ex Field looked like last year. Sure all of the games were sold-out but it is widely known that the Redskins played in front of thousands of empty seats. You can guarantee that those seats will be filled with fans this year.

It is tough to determine what the loss of Manning and the addition of Luck will do for the Colts. They will surely struggle to win games with the amount of talent that has departed Lucas Oil Stadium. It’s the end of an era but the start of another one. I don’t think it will take long for Colts fans to see a reason to go back and watch their next franchise quarterback develop.

Another part of the process that has to be measured is jersey sales. Can anyone imagine the volume of Redskins and Colts jerseys with the names Luck and Griffin III on the back that will get sold this year and beyond? 

My guess is that the Griffin III jersey will quickly become one of the most popular jerseys selling in the country as his appeal won’t be limited to just the D.C. area and Redskin fans. RG III has a rapper's nickname and is going to become the face of the NFL; you can already see it in his smile. He is the next big thing in the NFL.

It is difficult to project this into the future. Both players are going to teams that are considered to be bad teams. The Colts are clearly rebuilding; it’s going to take some time. Luck can carry them but he needs a supporting cast.

Griffin III will have a much more successful career early on because of how great his physical tools are and the things he can do to extend plays with his legs. He won’t need an elite offensive line or elite players on offense around him to be effective. He is simply fit to be a better quarterback early in his career.

For those who think that the Redskins gave up too much in the trade with the St. Louis Rams, I would tell them to think about the way the NFL game is played today and how valuable the franchise quarterback is, and I don’t necessarily mean on the field.

From ticket sales to jersey sales, to putting people in the seats, RG III will simply be a monster and that’s why the Redskins made such a great move relating to the trade. They have been searching for years to find their franchise quarterback but have never matched the player to the fans. Does anyone remember Heath Shuler?

From the Colts' perspective it could not be better. Some NFL teams go decades trying to find their franchise quarterback. They will go from Manning to Luck, from one if the best quarterbacks to ever play to one of the best prospects coming out of college at the quarterback position in decades. 

Rarely do things line up perfectly in the NFL but for these two franchises, the stars seem to have aligned. I am excited to see them both play as rookies, but I am more interested in what their careers will look like in a decade. 

It will be a heated debate to be sure. Some prefer Andrew Luck and his steady, calm, no-nonsense approach. Others prefer to be entertained and for them it will be hard to take their eyes off of Robert Griffin III. It is Larry Bird in Boston versus Magic Johnson in Los Angeles and the way they play fits the cities perfectly.

Imagine what Magic Johnson would have been like in Boston or what Larry Bird would have been like in Los Angeles. Both would have been great players, but it would have been different. From a cultural perspective, Bird and Boston were perfect as were Johnson and Los Angeles.

The same can be said for Luck in Indianapolis and Griffin III in Washington—they fit perfectly.  It should not be overlooked how much that matters.

At some point we all have to decide who we think will be the better player. You can put me solidly in the RG III camp, but for more than just the entertainment value. I think he will be the better NFL quarterback. 

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