Andrew Luck and RGIII have something special brewing for years to come |
The last time the NFL Draft commenced with a back-to-back quarterback selection it was 1999. Tim Couch was selected by the Browns first overall. Donovan McNabb followed with a chorus of boos raining down on him from Eagles fans and Akili Smith finished off the top three selections by going to the Bengals. It was promising for the league to have three straight "franchise changing" quarterbacks with the first three picks. Unfortunately only McNabb prompted any sort of organization transformation. Couch floundered with the Browns and Akili Smith failed to grasp the much faster NFL game. Despite McNabb's great career with the Eagles, the league was robbed of what would have been a sensational trio of quarterbacks. Well I think we may have finally gotten it's return on that deal 13 years later.
Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are two vastly different quarterbacks. They are not cut from the same physical mold, they don't throw the ball the same way, they don't possess the same physical skills, they attack the game in different ways, but here they are locked in a legitimate battle for Rookie of the Year and 2012 draft class supremacy. And as different as their respective physical skills may be, these guys are bonafide leaders. Not only do they understand the game and how to be leaders, but they possess the sort of composure seen by only a few rookies in years past. A levelheadedness that inspires teammates and allows them to display their creativity no matter what the situation is.
We expected these guys to struggle, we expected them to hit the major bumps in the road, even expected them to play like ugly, young rookies. But 11 games into this NFL season, both have proved that they we were worth their high selections in this year's draft. Luck has re-energized a franchise that had one of the fastest falls from grace we've ever seen; the Colts are knocking on the playoff door and no one in their right mind can say they predicted this. RGIII has Washington as excited about football as it since Joe Gibbs and Mark Rypien were leading the 'Skins to a Super Bowl in 1992. If Cam Newton can find re-establish himself as a good QB in the NFL, then we will have quite a trio of NFL quarterbacks going forward.
With the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger on the other side of their career peaks, we're soon going to have to look to a new crop of studs. Luck, RGII and Newton definitely represent something special for the NFL in the coming years, and it will be especially important for Griffin to reinvigorate a storied Redskins franchise which has seen too much of the cellar lately for the NFL's liking. Luck has the tough task of filling the void left by Peyton Manning, but he's already showed the type of leadership skills necessary to create the same longevity of success that Manning created for all of those years. Finally, Newton has had a rough, bump-in-the-road kind of year but it's certainly no help that his team isn't very good.
Early indications tell us that the 2012 draft will be an important one in shaping the league's next decade or so. Anyone thinking Redskins, Colts in Super Bowl L? Let's hope that's not just wishful thinking.
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