NFC East Mailbag: Comparing RG3 to Recent Top Quarterback Prospects

I'm torn, readers. This blog, like my maturity level, is in its infancy. And thus I'm trying to determine if I should pick one question per team per week or just go with the most fascinating questions I receive in my weekly mailbag.

The problem is that I've noticed quite a disparity in terms of where my questions are coming from, which is something I was expecting based on warnings from my divisional-blogging colleagues here at Bleacher Report and elsewhere. 

My philosophy, for now, will be to simply pick the best few questions and roll. I figure it's not a reader's fault if his or her peers are also killing it with exquisite questions.

Generally, I'll still try to answer as many as I can, and it's not as though I'm getting mail like Gaga or Bieber, so it's not a large concern. That said, I want to be able to give good thought to what I'm being asked.

And those who know me are well aware that good thought is something that only invades my cerebral cortex on the rarest of occasions.

OK, I'm babbling. Something gets into me on Friday afternoons. Better get started before I reach the pontification stage. Too late?

_______

We kick it off with my dude Harrison Hartt from East Texas. I just started following you back on Twitter, Double H, so I'm expecting your A game going forward.

Would it be OK if, instead, I explained why you need new buddies? Are these people living in 2007? Which one of us should break the news about Whitney, MJ, Amy Winehouse and the mortgage crisis? 

Chad Ochocinco is the last thing the Cowboys need. 

Actually, scratch that. Terrell Owens is on the prowl with a new agent.

Chad Ochocinco is the second-last thing the Cowboys need. 

Here's what an unnamed team official told NFL Network's Albert Breer this week:

"

"That star on your helmet allows you to choose the wrong path a little easier. The wrong kind of guy to play here is the 'me' guy, because the 'me' guy will buy into having his own radio show, and say, 'Well, I'm on the Cowboys, so I can do what I want.' The right kind of guy for us is the self-starter, the guy who finds more value in how he's playing than what he's wearing."

"

Ocho is a "me" guy. He defines "me" guy. And even if, in the best-case scenario, he doesn't verbally defecate all over what appears to be a relatively tranquil Dallas locker room, Ocho doesn't have his speed anymore. 

Is he better than Kevin Ogletree or Andre Holmes or Dwayne Harris or Danny Coale? At this point, not bloody likely. And in addition to seemingly being out of gas, the man doesn't seem to have the dedication to commit mentally. His undoing in New England was his failure to properly grasp the playbook during his entire time with the team (Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk summarized this nicely today).

So if he's not going to provide an upgrade on the field and you don't need the publicity boost off of it, what's the point?

______

Next up, the vowel-challenged "DvdItly" pipes in from somewhere on planet earth:

Let's split the difference and go back 7.5 years, with this year counting as only a half:

2012 (Andrew Luck): Obviously Luck is considered to be slightly more of a sure thing than Griffin, but I'd argue Griffin has a higher upside. In my mind, Luck is still a better decision maker, and he benefits from coming from more of a pro-style offense. Luck gets the edge, but it's close.

2011 (Cam Newton): This is a close one. If you'll recall, it took quite some time for Newton's draft stock to completely rise. He was the most famous man in college football, but he wasn't roundly considered a top pick until later in the year. I think that if they were to be in the same draft, Griffin would have the edge.

2010 (Sam Bradford): Bradford doesn't and didn't hold a candle to Griffin, especially considering there were some injury concerns then.

2009 (Matthew Stafford): Stafford was seen as a supremely talented quarterback who never fully reached his potential in college, so this is a tough one. Few questioned whether he'd become a great NFL quarterback, but did anyone get butterflies over him like they do over Griffin? I don't think so. I'm siding with RG3.

2008 (Matt Ryan): Remember when Ryan faced all those questions about his arm strength? Justified or not, there were plenty of concerns about Ryan, which is why he was picked behind two Longs.

2007 (JaMarcus Russell): Although Russell's ceiling was super-high because of his arm, lots of people were predicting, even then, that he'd be a bust. 

2006 (Vince Young): Griffin's got more speed, smarts and is considered more NFL-ready than Young was in '06.

2005 (Alex Smith): The '05 draft was a mess in terms in talent, and no one knew what the hell to do. Smith's stock rose rather inexplicably, while Aaron Rodgers' dropped. Neither were in the Luck/RG3/Newton range.

Beyond, things get a little complicated with Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer. Still, within the range we analyzed, I'd say Griffin is wedged in between Luck and Newton as the second-best quarterback prospect heading into his rookie season.

_______

Let's hit New Jersey to hear from Soven Bery:

I wrote in May that a successful rookie season would require seven wins, but six would probably be acceptable. I hate attaching win totals to quarterbacks because, according to reports, football is a team game, but I do think it's important for Washington to improve on its 2011 win total of five in 2012.

I truly believe the right pieces are in place for Griffin to succeed from the start. This team has an underrated defense, a good offensive line, a solid running game and a deep receiving corps. If they can stay healthy and Griffin can be brought along at a relatively manageable pace, the 'Skins could be an above-average team this season.

Of course, in a division like the NFC East, that doesn't mean they'll win nine or 10 games. They're still the least talented team in this division, so I'm going to give them a 7-9 record in RG3's rookie campaign.

______

We go to the Bleacher Report NFC East e-mail inbox ([e-mail]) for the final question, which comes from Leland Skywalker, whom I only assume is Luke's secret half-brother. Anakin, you dog.

"

I've heard numerous people say the Cowboys need a attitude on defense. That someone like Cortland Finnegan would have brought that attitude to the Cowboys defense. Ive said from the beginning they should have signed Finnegan over Carr. What do you think about that?

"

Not only would Finnegan have brought some attitude to that defense, he would have been an even bigger upgrade over what the team had in place last year. Make no mistake, Carr's a great corner (and two years younger than Finnegan), but Finnegan was better than Carr in most facets of the game last year, according to Pro Football Focus.

Finnegan can be frustrating and he could afford to be more consistent, but he's undoubtedly a better corner than Carr at this point. The only reason why they fetched similar contracts in free agency is because Carr has that age advantage. 

Unfortunately for Dallas, it appears Finnegan simply chose reuniting with Jeff Fisher over joining the 'Boys. Would you have paid more for Finnegan than Carr? I'm not sure I would, and that might have been necessary.

______

For those who sent questions, thanks a million. For those who just read, thanks for reading. To all of you, feel free to get in on the action next week. Tweet @Brad_Gagnon or e-mail [e-mail].