Mr. Peabody Goes Back to 2012

[Neophyte]

It was suggested on Twitter yesterday that Washington fans are divided on the QB position because the team has failed to acquire one the “right way” since we took Griffin second overall in the 2012 draft.

Now, I’m not sure what the “right way” is or, if we are being honest, what that even means, but I do know that we didn’t do it when we acquired Griffin. The Shanahans have all but said publicly that they didn’t want Griffin but were basically forced to make the trade that brought us RGIII. Thank you, Daniel Snyder.

Whatever else it was, it was definitely NOT the right way.

But the Tweet did get me thinking about what might have been the right way and what the differences might have looked like today.

In March of 2012, the then Redskins traded the team’s first and second-round picks in that draft (6 and 39, respectively), and first-rounders in 2013 and 2014 (22nd and 2nd, respectively) to the Rams for the right to take Griffin second overall. Then the team turned right around and drafted Cousins in the 4th round of the same draft.

Hindsight proves that both moves were outright theft, just with different victims.

So, let’s go get Mr. Peabody & Sherman, crank up the old WABAC Machine to take a trip back 10 years, and see what might of have been, shall we?

Instead of Griffin at #2, we stay at #6 and take DT Fletcher Cox. We also get to keep that 2nd round pick, #39 overall, and with that pick, we take LB Bobby Wagner. Even though we could jump on Russell Wilson in the 3rd, we will leave the rest of this draft alone and take Cousins in the 4th round because we assume he was Shanahan’s choice all along.

In 2013, at #22 overall, Team Shanahan goes with DeAndre Hopkins to give their now 2nd year QB Cousins a big target on the outside to throw the ball to. This, plus the addition of Jordan Reed in the 3rd round, start to round this offense into something truly dangerous.

In 2014, Washington earned the #2 pick overall. Honestly, 2014 was a lousy year to be picking #2 overall. Looking at the list of guys in the top 10, hindsight says you trade back, pick up a few extra picks, and take someone like Aaron Donald or Zach Martin. However, for the purposes of this exercise, we will assume Washington stays at #2 and takes Kahlil Mack.

Now, I know hindsight is 20/20 and I’m working with the advantage here. No question that I am cherry-picking guys with long careers who have been difference-makers to their teams for nearly a decade. Would we have hit on all 4 picks? Probably not. However, none of what I have proposed is preposterous or would have taken a miracle to make happen. It would have given our defense real teeth and created an offense that by the 2015 season would have run roughshod over most of the league.

However, the biggest change in all this might have been in the coaching ranks, as following this plan Washington might have kept the Shanahans happy and ultimately lead to Kyle taking over for Mike.

How much of a difference would that have made?

 

[SilentThreat]

It was suggested on Twitter yesterday that Washington fans are divided on the QB position because the team has failed to acquire one the “right way” since we took Griffin second overall in the 2012 draft.

Now, I’m not sure what the “right way” is or, if we are being honest, what it even means, but I do know that we didn’t use it when we acquired Griffin. The Shanahans have all but said publicly that they didn’t want Griffin but were basically forced to make the trade that brought us Griffin. Thank you, Daniel Snyder.

Whatever else it was, this was definitely NOT the right way.

But the Tweet did get me thinking about what might have been the right way and what the differences might have looked like today.

In March of 2012, the then Redskins traded the team’s first and second-round picks in that draft (6 and 39, respectively), and first-rounders in 2013 and 2014 (22nd and 2nd, respectively) to the Rams for the right to take Griffin second overall. Then the team turned right around and drafted Cousins in the 4th round of the same draft.

Hindsight proves that both moves were outright theft, just with different victims.

So, let’s get Mr. Peabody and crank up the old WABAC Machine to take a trip back 10 years, and see what might of have been, shall we?

Instead of Griffin at #2, we stay at #6 and take DT Fletcher Cox. We also get to keep that 2nd round pick, #39 overall, and with that pick we take LB Bobby Wagner. Even though we could jump on Russell Wilson in the 3rd, we will leave the rest of this draft alone and take Cousins in the 4th round because we assume he was Shanahan’s choice all along.

In 2013, at #22 overall, Team Shanahan goes with DeAndre Hopkins to give their now 2nd year QB Cousins a big target on the outside to throw the ball to. This, plus the addition of Jordan Reed in the 3rd round, start to round this offense into something truly dangerous.

In 2014, Washington earned the #2 pick overall. Honestly, 2014 was a lousy year to be picking #2 overall. Looking at the list of guys in the top 10, hindsight says you trade back, pick up a few extra picks, and take someone like Aaron Donald or Zach Martin. However, for the purposes of this exercise, we will assume Washington stays at #2 and takes Kahlil Mack.

Now, I know hindsight is 20/20 and I’m working with the advantage here. However, none of what I have proposed is preposterous or would have taken a miracle to make happen. It would have given our defense real teeth and created an offense that by the 2015 season would have run roughshod over most of the league.

However, the biggest change in all this might have been in the coaching ranks, as following this plan Washington might have kept the Shanahans happy and ultimately lead to Kyle taking over for Mike.

How much of a difference would that have made?

Unfortunately in all likelyhood... had 2012 / 2013 played out THIS way, we're not picking no. 2 overall in 2014... more likely we're picking 20th, than 2nd... so as part of this exercise, I'd imagine at 20, with an aging Santana Moss (if he hadn't retired at this point), Brandin Cooks might be the guy (who ironically went 20 overall). The second half of the first round of that draft was not good... I think trading back likely would have been the move... Davante Adams was on the board til well into the 2nd round (we took Trent Murphy 6 picks ahead of him btw) and could have made this offense truly elite, had you not taken Cooks in the first round. In your scenario, the WR corps is Garcon, Hopkins, Adams... likely doesn't stick together very long because all three of those guys are NO 1, alpha dog type guys.. but man that would have been explosive.

 

[Boone]

Although 2012 was a fun season, no one can ever deny that, but ultimately giving up all that draft capital to move up and get Griffin set this franchise back 10 years. Had they drafted Cousins and only Cousins, I think his *attitude* towards the franchise might've been different and he may have re-signed with us. As an anointed starter in 2012, Cousins development is also fast-tracked and by the time comes to negotiate a 2nd big contract, we're paying him whatever it takes to make him happy. That alone would've been franchise changing.

As far as what we do with the picks we save in that scenario, 'redrafting' isn't usually realistic. Half the players in early rounds are busts. Knowing which ones worked out retrospectively, of course things would've turned out better. But chances are a good number of those extra pick selections aren't 'the right guys' and don't add meaningfully to the team's talent level. On the other hand, quite possible we would've been able to add offensive talent that would give Cousins an even greater ability to shine, even if we didn't hit on every pick.

Your core argument is valid. Draft Cousins and not RG3 - we'd probably have had a franchise QB for a decade and would have one of the best young coaches in the league leading us.

 

[Neophyte]

Oh, I know there is a knock-on effect of not doing what we did in 2012, but playing that game gets crazy.

For example, I don't believe there is any way we are as successful in the 2012 season with a rookie Kirk Cousins as we were with a rookie Robert Griffin III. That means we are picking higher in 2013 than we did in reality but I didn't bother looking at any player taken higher than the 22nd pick because this is where the pick ended up.

 

[Neophyte]

Yeah Boone - you have hit on a point I was thinking but didn't articulate in the OP - that without the drama of Griffin and with keeping a Shanahan as HC, we likely still have Cousins here.

To me, he still isn't a "franchise" QB but he is on the step just below and with Kyle as the HC, Cousins would be more than enough.

 

[Boone]

And here's the likely most critical aspect of the whole imaginary exercise. There was really only one thing that needed to happen after Mike Shanahan was hired to set the stage for perhaps decades of sustained success. One little thing.

Dan Snyder keeping his ignorant, egotistical, arrogant little fingers out of the pie. Snyder doesn't insert himself and force the drafting of RG3 and everything could be different.

 

[Boone]

First post enhanced.

 

[Neophyte]

Dude...too cool.

Even if you, me, and Om are the only guys old enough to remember Mr. Peabody and Sherman (no, Chris, you don't count - you are still young at heart and in shape).

 

[Chris]

I’m not as good as I once was…but I’m as good once as I’ve ever been.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Little bit of devils advocate here :

What if Griffin doesn't get hurt, the whole trajectory could've been different, yes he didn't succeed in Cleveland afterwards (no one could back then) and then became a backup that rarely played in Baltimore but if we win that Seattle game and he stayed healthy it's a great who knows?

Also with Mike Shanahan and QB's excluding Elway - Drafted Brian Griese (backup at best), Jake Plummer (played better than in AZ but was a better team, eh) , Jay Cutler (sorta bust for the 11th pick), Trades Jason Campbell and trades for McNugget giving up decent draft capital, Rex Grossman is brought in (F it I'm going deep), John Beck (ffs) maybe there was a reason Snyder stepped in for RG3, Shanahan's track record was abysmal with QB's once he lost Elway.

Cousins is what he is, way overpaid and can't do diddly poo when it counts, he's a stat hound against bad teams. I could care less that he went somewhere else to be mediocre making top 7 QB money.

 

[SilentThreat]

Little bit of devils advocate here :

What if Griffin doesn't get hurt, the whole trajectory could've been different, yes he didn't succeed in Cleveland afterwards (no one could back then) and then became a backup that rarely played in Baltimore but if we win that Seattle game and he stayed healthy it's a great who knows?

Also with Mike Shanahan and QB's excluding Elway - Drafted Brian Griese (backup at best), Jake Plummer (played better than in AZ but was a better team, eh) , Jay Cutler (sorta bust for the 11th pick), Trades Jason Campbell and trades for McNugget giving up decent draft capital, Rex Grossman is brought in (F it I'm going deep), John Beck (ffs) maybe there was a reason Snyder stepped in for RG3, Shanahan's track record was abysmal with QB's once he lost Elway.

Cousins is what he is, way overpaid and can't do diddly poo when it counts, he's a stat hound against bad teams. I could care less that he went somewhere else to be mediocre making top 7 QB money.

He 'refused' to play the way we were playing. Reports came out that him and his dad went in and drew a line in the sand to Shanahan saying they will only play a pocket passing type of offense. He would have failed. Griffin was magic for a year in an offense he resented, and likely would not have survived. He refused to 'get better' at that style of offense, you could see it. He was terrible at sliding, despite coaching. He most likely was not actually invested in developing the trait.

His injury just accelerated his ousting because it solidified something the Shanny's saw every day in practice. There was only 1 way to win with Griffin, and it was a very short track because time would inevitably run out on his ability, or his body, sooner or later.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

To me, the lesson of 2012 is that if you go all in on a guy, it has to work or you will fail spectacularly. There are always things that happen that you do not expect to happen. And it wasn’t just the Griffin injury, it was also the salary cap penalty which prevented free agent signings to build up other parts of the team. I heard this example years ago about buying a house. If you use all your money and savings to buy a house, what are you going to do when the roof leaks the 1st month you are there and the AC breaks the 2nd month. You have no money or savings to get you by to fix things that unexpectedly break. It’s the same thing in sports. By giving up the future for Griffin, they had no other resources to fill in the depth of the roster for the things that would inevitably go wrong. All their eggs were in one basket and when it broke, they were left with nothing.

 

[Bulldog]

What was missing when Washington decided to give up 3 years of picks for a player whose system in college was beyond basic and non-transferrable?

A true GM and functioning FO.

That’s why the Broncos ended up giving up less to acquire John Elway in 1983.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Elway was going to play baseball if he wasn't traded, total different set of circumstances