Robert Griffin III: Assessing Reasonable Expectations for Rookie Season

Robert Griffin III is going to have his fair share of struggles in his rookie season with the Washington Redskins, and if you expect otherwise you need to be reasoned with.

He'll have his moments of glory, too, but don't expect him to ride into town like Wyatt Earp and drive out all the bad guys in one fell swoop. He will have to earn his stripes just like every other quarterback has done before him. 

Those stripes are hard to come by. They are earned by taking plenty of hard knocks and throwing more interceptions than anyone wants to admit.

One advantage RG3 has compared to guys like Andrew Luck is that he has a better supporting cast surrounding him. 

Griffin III will have decent protection with Trent Williams protecting his blind side, and the Redskins recently spent a whole lot of money bringing in a couple of wide receivers, Josh Morgan and Pierre Garcon, to go along with Leonard Hankerson, Santana Moss and Fred Davis.

Mike Shanahan always manages to produce a solid running game, too, and that will insulate RG3 from having to throw the ball too much. 

A big disadvantage RG3 has compared to Luck is that he's never before played in a pro-style system—not to mention one crafted by a Shanahan.

Some scouts aren't convinced the transition from college to the pros will go smoothly for him.

Via Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 

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I don't think he has vision or pocket feel, which to me are the two most important components of quarterbacking. He's just running around winging it. He's (Michael) Vick, but not as good a thrower. 

As much as is written about his athleticism, his athleticism under duress in the pocket isn't even close to Cam Newton's. This guy, the only way he gets big plays with his feet is if he's got a wide-open field and the sea opens for him.

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Griffin III will be good, have no fear, but he will also struggle against NFL defenses for a few seasons, just like every other quarterback who's ever played the game.

For me, a reasonable expectation for him in 2012 given all these factors is that he completes 58 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,000 yards with 20 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.

He should also make some plays with his legs, and you can tack on another 400 yards and five touchdowns he'll produce on the ground.

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