Tennessee Titans: RGIII signing hurts draft strategy
By P. L. Colter
In 2012, a quarterback out of Baylor by the name of Robert Griffin III shook up the draft with a blockbuster trade for the number two overall pick.
After yesterday’s events, the Tennessee Titans are hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself in 2016.
By now we all know the the story…the rise and fall of RGIII in Washington DC. The latest chapter coming yesterday, when he signed with the Cleveland Browns after being released by the Redskins earlier this month.
Why is this a concern to the Titans? Because all of the leverage has now shifted to Cleveland.
Heading into the 2012 draft, the St. Louis Rams held the number two overall pick. They also had their starting qb in Sam Bradford. Washington, who desperately wanted to get their hands on RGIII, gave up a multitude of high profile picks to take him second overall.
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48 hours ago, the Titans were the “Rams” of this year’s draft. They hold the number one overall pick, and have their franchise qb in Marcus Mariota.
Cleveland, owners of this year’s number two overall pick, was pencilled in as taking a qb. After all, it was their biggest offseason need.
That gave Tennessee a huge bargaining chip, a ripe opportunity to trade their pick to a qb-starved team that was willing to give up a “king’s ransom” (as stated by Titans general manager Jon Robinson) to leapfrog the Browns.
Robinson relished in the possibilities.
But with RGIII now in the fold, the Browns (not the Titans) now have the luxury (if they so choose) to deal their second pick to said qb-starved team in exchange for multiple high picks in return. Something that has to be enticing to a team that lost several starters via free agency this month.
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Shortly after the deal for RGIII was made public, ESPN NFL guru Adam Schefter reported that the Browns were still interested in selecting qb Carson Wentz second overall.
Tennessee still has an outside shot at dealing their pick, if a team is desperate enough to call Cleveland’s bluff, but by and large, the Titans are now on the outside looking in.
The Browns snatched the bargaining chip away from the Titans.
Well played Cleveland.