Author Topic: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin  (Read 59842 times)

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« on: October 18, 2011, 12:36:08 PM »
So I've been hearing that Luck is the undisputed no. 1 overall pick for the 2012 draft.  But I've been looking at the numbers on Baylor QB Robert Griffin.  Pretty amazing.

Haven't seen either one of them play.  For anyone who has watched both of them, what makes Luck that much better than Griffin? 

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2011, 10:27:30 AM »
So I've been hearing that Luck is the undisputed no. 1 overall pick for the 2012 draft.  But I've been looking at the numbers on Baylor QB Robert Griffin.  Pretty amazing.

Haven't seen either one of them play.  For anyone who has watched both of them, what makes Luck that much better than Griffin? 

I like Griffin at the college level, but he is no where near as polished as Luck is right now.  Luck makes some throws that some starting NFL qb's would struggle to make. 

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2011, 02:03:06 PM »
I like Griffin at the college level, but he is no where near as polished as Luck is right now.  Luck makes some throws that some starting NFL qb's would struggle to make. 

Thanks.  I guess I need to watch Luck play, because people are fawing all over the kid. 

The thing that stands out to me about Griffin's stats is his completion percentage.  Accuracy is one of the things that translates into NFL success. 


The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2011, 07:06:54 AM »
Thanks.  I guess I need to watch Luck play, because people are fawing all over the kid. 

The thing that stands out to me about Griffin's stats is his completion percentage.  Accuracy is one of the things that translates into NFL success. 



Baylor has a nice system to help his accuracy, but most of his throws aren't "NFL" type throws....ie: 20 yard outs, etc...  I think Griffin could play in the NFL, but Luck is most likely a Pro Bowl player.

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2011, 11:45:26 AM »
Baylor has a nice system to help his accuracy, but most of his throws aren't "NFL" type throws....ie: 20 yard outs, etc...  I think Griffin could play in the NFL, but Luck is most likely a Pro Bowl player.

There is a lot of talk out there about "throwing the ball down the field," but that's not the reality of most offenses these days.  The Bill Walsh Offense (aka the West Coast Offense) run by a lot of offenses in some form or another involves a short-to-mid-range passing game.  

Take a look at Griifin's yards per attempt:  10.7.  Luck's is 9.5.

In the NFL, Rodgers leader the NFL in yards per attempt at 9.75.  Everyone else is less.  Those 20-yard outs are more the exception than the rule.  

That said, I do believe arm strength is important, though not as important as accuracy.  

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2011, 01:35:02 PM »
There is a lot of talk out there about "throwing the ball down the field," but that's not the reality of most offenses these days.  The Bill Walsh Offense (aka the West Coast Offense) run by a lot of offenses in some form or another involves a short-to-mid-range passing game. 

Take a look at Griifin's yards per attempt:  10.7.  Luck's is 9.5.

In the NFL, Rodgers leaders the NFL in yards per attempt at 9.75.  Everyone else is less.  Those 20-yard outs are more the exception than the rule. 

That said, I do believe arm strength is important, though not as important as accuracy. 

I agree with what you are saying, but I think the way the NFL looks at it is that a guy has to be a threat to make the longer throws to make the defense honest.  Even the true west coast offenses need to stretch the field on occasion, and I think that is what separtes guys.  I also think accuracy is the most important thing...but the NFL scouts look at hours of film.  It's not always complete pct that equates to a QB being accurate.  A QB could make the right throw, right on the money and a guy not make the catch, for example.  with the way everybody is raving about Luck and him having played under Harbaugh, i think he will be a very solid nfl qb.

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2011, 02:48:23 PM »
I agree with what you are saying, but I think the way the NFL looks at it is that a guy has to be a threat to make the longer throws to make the defense honest.  Even the true west coast offenses need to stretch the field on occasion, and I think that is what separtes guys.  I also think accuracy is the most important thing...but the NFL scouts look at hours of film.  It's not always complete pct that equates to a QB being accurate.  A QB could make the right throw, right on the money and a guy not make the catch, for example.  with the way everybody is raving about Luck and him having played under Harbaugh, i think he will be a very solid nfl qb.

I pretty much agree.

I do, however, think too much emphasis is placed on arm strength.  Remember JaMarcus Russell?  Could supposedly throw the ball more than 50 yards on his knees.  Couldn't play worth a lick. 

I agree completion percentage doesn't always equate to a QB being accurate (or inaccurate), but it's a good measure.  Overall, I trust what I see much more than statistics.  That's why I asked about these two guys.  Thanks for educating me about them.  I'll try and check out a Stanford (and Baylor) game. 

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2011, 05:23:31 PM »
I pretty much agree.

I do, however, think too much emphasis is placed on arm strength.  Remember JaMarcus Russell?  Could supposedly throw the ball more than 50 yards on his knees.  Couldn't play worth a lick. 

I agree completion percentage doesn't always equate to a QB being accurate (or inaccurate), but it's a good measure.  Overall, I trust what I see much more than statistics.  That's why I asked about these two guys.  Thanks for educating me about them.  I'll try and check out a Stanford (and Baylor) game. 

No problem, I'm certainly not an expert.  And i agree about the "big arm" thing.  It means next to nothing if a guy isn't at least fairly accurate on intermediate and short throws.  I like a QB who is more described as having a "strong" arm, as in can rifle the ball more than a "big arm" who can throw it a mile, but puts a ton of air under it.  That works about once every two or three games in the NFL....if you're lucky.


Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2011, 10:35:18 PM »
Sounds like RG III is the favorite to win the Heisman.  Here is how he and Luck ended up:

Luck
261 for 373, 3170 yards, 70.0%, 8.5 ypa, 35 TDs, 9 INTs, 167.5 rating, 153 yards rushing, 2 TDs

Griffin
267 for 369, 3998 yards, 72.4%, 10.8 ypa, 36 TDs, 6 INTs, 192.3 rating, 644 yards rushing, 9 TDs

Option D

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 17367
  • Kelly the Con Way
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2011, 08:07:36 AM »
Matt Barkley owns  both

Option D

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 17367
  • Kelly the Con Way
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2011, 08:08:56 AM »
Sounds like RG III is the favorite to win the Heisman.  Here is how he and Luck ended up:

Luck
261 for 373, 3170 yards, 70.0%, 8.5 ypa, 35 TDs, 9 INTs, 167.5 rating, 153 yards rushing, 2 TDs

Griffin
267 for 369, 3998 yards, 72.4%, 10.8 ypa, 36 TDs, 6 INTs, 192.3 rating, 644 yards rushing, 9 TDs


DAmn hard to argue.. but i would still say Luck. He is still in a RUN FIRST offense.

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2011, 12:30:25 PM »

DAmn hard to argue.. but i would still say Luck. He is still in a RUN FIRST offense.

Maybe, but Luck actually has more pass attempts than Griffin (but fewer yards). 

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2011, 12:38:33 PM »
RG III will most likely win the Heisman and Luck will be the overall #1 pick and a better pro.

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #13 on: December 07, 2011, 01:09:35 PM »
RG III will most likely win the Heisman and Luck will be the overall #1 pick and a better pro.

Will be interesting to see where they land.  Luck is probably going to Indy. 

BTW, I heard someone say that RG III is a world class sprinter? 

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2011, 09:53:51 AM »
Will be interesting to see where they land.  Luck is probably going to Indy. 

BTW, I heard someone say that RG III is a world class sprinter? 

I wouldn't doubt it.  He is an incredible athlete.  Makes people miss in the pocket a lot.  He reminds me somewhat of Michael Vick in that way, but he is a much better passer at this stage of his career.  He can run, but already prefers to stand in the pocket and go thru progressions.  I've heard he's a very bright guy too, and he does speak very well.

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2011, 10:57:30 AM »
I am officially an RG III fan.  Excellence on the field.  He already has his undergrad degree and is working on a grad degree.  Great Heisman speech.  Knocked it out of the park in less than two minutes.


The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2011, 06:12:54 PM »
Totally agree Beach.  Classy guy with a great family.  Very happy to see someone of that caliber win it.  And also thought Luck handled the question after vote very well. 

Oldschool Flip

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 3309
  • Eat Balut! High in Protein!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2012, 10:45:15 PM »
There is a lot of talk out there about "throwing the ball down the field," but that's not the reality of most offenses these days.  The Bill Walsh Offense (aka the West Coast Offense) run by a lot of offenses in some form or another involves a short-to-mid-range passing game.  

Take a look at Griifin's yards per attempt:  10.7.  Luck's is 9.5.

In the NFL, Rodgers leader the NFL in yards per attempt at 9.75.  Everyone else is less.  Those 20-yard outs are more the exception than the rule.  

That said, I do believe arm strength is important, though not as important as accuracy.  
Druckenmiller had a strong arm................

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2012, 12:01:16 PM »
Druckenmiller had a strong arm................

Yeah, he did.  That dog.  Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark really ran that franchise into the ground.   >:(

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2012, 12:57:50 PM »
Updated: January 4, 2012
Colts should pick Griffin, not Luck
By Jemele Hill
ESPN.com

After Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay made the bold decision on Monday to fire team vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, Chris, the general manager, the typically steady Colts were suddenly cast into a state of calculated upheaval.

Who'll be running the Colts' front office isn't clear. And since the Polians' ouster effectively put coach Jim Caldwell's future with the team in a holding pattern, who will coach the Colts next season is a mystery, too.

But what the Colts should do with the No. 1 pick couldn't be more obvious.

Forget about Stanford's Andrew Luck. The Colts should use the top pick on Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.

Andrew Luck sounded more interested in starting in the NFL than waiting his turn when he spoke after the Fiesta Bowl.

Of course, this is assuming that the Colts keep the pick. If another team offers the Colts multiple high draft picks for the No. 1, the Colts have to take the deal in order to maximize the remainder of Peyton Manning's Hall of Fame career.

But if a sweetheart deal doesn't materialize, drafting Griffin makes more sense for the Colts than selecting Luck.

This isn't a criticism of Luck, a dynamic NFL prospect who is the most pro-ready quarterback in college football. Luck has all the tools -- size, arm strength, intelligence, maturity, leadership, on top of being a pretty good athlete. If Luck pans out, his NFL team wouldn't have to worry about the quarterback position for a decade.

So if Luck is that good, why not draft him No. 1 overall?

For the Colts, this decision must be based on more than just which quarterback is better now. The Colts need to be able to use the No. 1 pick not only to plan for life without Manning, but also to give themselves the best opportunity to win now.

Manning's future in Indianapolis is uncertain. The Colts must decide in March if they will pay him a $28 million option bonus that activates the final four years of his five-year, $90 million contract. If the Colts elect not to pay Manning, he'll become an unrestricted free agent.

Obviously, Manning's health is the primary issue. Even at 35 years old, if Manning is healthy, he's an elite quarterback.

Griffin Vs. Luck
There is little question Andrew Luck remains the better prospect and should be the pick for the Colts. Steve Muench 

Should Manning return at full strength, does he really want to spend the last few years of his career with Luck -- whom Indianapolis fans were clamoring for during the Colts' free fall this season -- lurking behind him?

In December, Manning's father, Archie, indicated that the answer to that question was no. During a Fox Sports radio interview, Archie said that having Luck and Manning on the same team wouldn't make much sense for either player.

"I think Andrew's the type of mature player … he can walk right in," Archie said then.

Archie Manning was serving as a de facto mouthpiece for his son and firing a subtle warning that Peyton Manning didn't want to coexist with Luck. Archie later backtracked, and even though Peyton attempted to do some damage control, the Mannings' comments raise some interesting questions about the potential relationship dynamic between Manning and Luck.

Whether Archie Manning's comments were benign or not doesn't matter at this point. If the Colts take Luck, despite Manning's numerous, impressive accomplishments, expect a full-fledged quarterback controversy almost immediately.

Robert Griffin III has the legs to go with his NFL arm.

I just don't see that happening if the Colts draft Griffin, who has just as much talent and high-character intangibles as Luck.

Both Griffin and Luck could play right away, but Luck is a more polished product. Griffin, on the other hand, could benefit from sitting behind Manning awhile. He could be another Aaron Rodgers, who sat behind Brett Favre for three seasons before becoming Green Bay's starter in 2008.

Also, the quarterback position in the NFL is changing. Traditional pocket passers are still a desired commodity, but the idea that an athletic quarterback is a liability is outdated. By breaking Manning's rookie passing-yardage record, Cam Newton showed a more dangerous quarterback model is emerging -- a pass-first, freakish athlete who can make dazzling plays with his legs.

Newton and Griffin are different players, but Griffin fits the general mode that Newton established. Griffin's running ability is as rare as Newton's and Michael Vick's. Griffin, an All-American in track at Baylor, possesses legitimate 4.4 speed. If you combine that with the fact that he throws perhaps the most accurate deep ball in college football, Griffin's upside is absolutely staggering.

The Colts are in the unenviable position of trying to set themselves up for the future in the presence of a living legend. It's a delicate process and if the Colts aren't careful, they could alienate Manning and may be forced to take a hard stance about his future prematurely.

This isn't to say that if the Colts chose Luck, they would be making a horrible mistake. But Griffin gives the Colts a chance to win right now and for years to come.

Jemele Hill can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7419742/robert-griffin-iii-not-andrew-luck-right-pick-indianapolis-colts

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2012, 05:58:13 PM »
Not lacking in confidence.  Looks like he brings everything to the table that Luck does, with much better mobility.  

After surprising Heisman win, Griffin hopes to surprise in draft

INDIANAPOLIS -- There may or may not be any significance in the order Gatorade brought the NFL draft's top two quarterback prospects to the Super Bowl this week -- Andrew Luck first, on Thursday, and Robert Griffin III second, on Friday -- but that's certainly not the order Griffin is resigning himself to in terms of how events will unfold in late April's first round.

In a wide-ranging one-on-one interview with SI.com Friday morning in the Super Bowl media center, the Heisman winner from Baylor, given the shorthand moniker RGIII, touched on multiple topics that will take center stage in the coming weeks, including:

• How he plans to compete for the No. 1 overall pick with Stanford's Luck, who he labeled the onetime "de facto Heisman winner and de facto No. 1 pick."
• His thoughts on either replacing or playing with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, and being the Colts' choice for the top slot.
• How Cam Newton's stellar rookie year in the NFL opened more minds to the advantages of a running, more athletic quarterback.
• His hope that no team gives up too much in terms of trading veteran talent to move up in the draft to take him.
• And why he considers himself the best, most multitalented quarterback available in this year's draft, a case he is not hesitant to make.

Griffin was in Indianapolis taking part in the same Gatorade testing regimen at its Sports Science Institute that Luck participated in on Thursday, and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his first trip to a Super Bowl city while making the rounds with the media.

Griffin will be back here in about three weeks for the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February, and he's not shy about his intentions at that upcoming and high profile job fair.

"It's going to be a great experience at the combine, talking to all the NFL teams," Griffin said. "Hopefully I'll end up here via the draft, but I have no control over that. All I can control is what I say and what I do, and I plan on saying the right things and just being myself, and doing everything I possibly can to show everyone I am the best."

Griffin came from off the radar screen this season to beat out Stanford's Luck for the Heisman, and he sounds as if he likes the underdog role in his quest to be drafted first overall. Colts owner Jim Irsay, who owns the No. 1 pick, has said his team plans to take a quarterback, and it will be either Luck or Griffin.

"That's huge," said Griffin of Irsay's oft-stated intentions. "It's every kid's dream. Every kid wants to be the first pick in the draft. I wouldn't say no to it. I'm glad he at least put me in that conversation and hasn't already made it a foregone conclusion that he's going with Andrew, like a lot of people have.

"As long as that door's open, I'm going to keep trying to run through it. And when it is closed, I'm not going to sit there and wait behind it and cry. I'll just keep moving forward."

Griffin said he and Luck are friends and "pretty cool" as competitors fighting for the same prize. But make no mistake, this is a competition that Griffin intends to fully wage this winter and spring as the pre-draft buildup and scouting season unfolds.

"For me, a quarterback's best friend, especially a young quarterback's best friend, is a coach who believes in him," Griffin said. "So if Jim Irsay and [new Colts] coach [Chuck] Pagano believe in me as a player and want to go with me, I'm happy for it. If they don't believe in me, and they believe in Andrew Luck, then go with Andrew Luck.

"My job is to build that belief in every coach and every owner, that they can put the franchise in my hands and I can take it uphill from there. Obviously, everyone wants to be No. 1, but I'm not going to campaign. I'm just going to go out and show what I've got."

Having next to no preseason Heisman buzz working on his behalf, Griffin had a lot of work to do to generate widespread support during his standout junior season with Baylor, in order to overtake the favored Luck and inject himself into the race. There are some who believe he's about to do the same thing atop the draft. Among his growing fans are former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, who has been quoted saying the more mobile Griffin would be his first choice, ahead of even the almost unanimously acclaimed Luck.

The momentum does seem like it's headed Griffin's way. By the time the draft rolls around, some teams are likely to have him rated higher on the draft board than Luck, who has been described as the best passing prospect since Peyton Manning, and was considered an eventual No. 1 overall pick for his last two seasons at Stanford.

"Perception is reality, and at the beginning of the year I wasn't on many radars," Griffin said. "I did have a lot more ground to cover than he did. He was the de facto Heisman winner and the de facto No. 1 pick. We already took one of those from him and we plan to continue to go out there and do that. Whether it's with the first pick in the draft, a playoff win, or who goes to the first Super Bowl.

"I will use that as a driving force, whether I go first, second, third or fourth in the draft. The fact I wasn't out there with people believing in me is going to be the key to drive me to be a better player. So it'll always be a competition between me and Andrew, just because we're in the same class and the media is going to paint it that way. I don't have anything against him, and he doesn't have anything against me. We're just competitors. Outside of that, we're pretty cool."

Griffin said whether it's the Colts at No. 1, the Browns at No. 4, or Washington at No. 6, he will use the combine to help sell a team on his potential and his blend of talents. He said there were even discussions in his own locker room early this season about whether he belonged in the top quarterback debate, but he's used to making his strongest case with his play rather than his words.

"I hate to talk about myself like that, but if I had to straight up tell a head coach or an owner why they should take me, it's because I'm the best in everything I've done," Griffin said. "I'm the most accurate. I have the strongest arm. I may not be the tallest. I may not be the heaviest. But I'm the best quarterback in the nation, and if they pass on me, then I understand. But I'm going to go out and be the best quarterback for somebody else.

"It's about consistency. And I was able to go out and make the nation a believer. I was able to make my own teammates believers, too. And that means even more to me, that they regarded me as the best quarterback in the nation."

Griffin has been following the drama surrounding Peyton Manning's future in Indianapolis, but more as a fan than in terms of how it might impact his own fate in the draft, or at the start of his NFL career.
"Whatever Jim Irsay decides, whether it's, 'Hey, it's time for [Manning] to move on, or we want you to come back,' I can't control that," Griffin said. "I've never met Jim Irsay. I've met Peyton, and I told him if I get the honor to play with him, I'd love it. I hope he gets to play as long as he wants to, wherever he wants to.

"It wouldn't be a burden to play behind him with the Colts. Nothing in life is a foregone conclusion, so Peyton could be here this year. If the Colts decided to draft me to learn from him and be the future down the road, that's a win-win for me, because Peyton's a legend and he knows what it takes to win and to be great. I would love to learn from a guy like that."

Wherever Griffin lands in the draft, Newton's eye-opening rookie season in Carolina likely will raise the bar of expectation for him, and, perhaps, help pave the way for more understanding of how to build an NFL offense around his package of athletic skills. Like Newton, Griffin has a strong, accurate arm, and the ability to make defenses pay with his feet and speed.

"There are traditional ways to win, and there's branching out with ideas that can also help you win in a more nonconventional way," Griffin said. "Cam brought awareness to that. But for people who have watched the game and know the game, they know there are guys like Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham and Steve Young, who have been athletic, mobile quarterbacks in the past.

"Drew Brees runs a little bit. Aaron Rodgers runs a little bit. The days of the big quarterback who can't move very well, they're not completely over, but they're not everywhere any more. There's no one way to do it. Those guys can go out and be successful. But I think just because of the year Cam Newton had, and guys who showed it in the past, having an athlete at quarterback is not a bad thing."

If Luck does go first to the Colts, the Rams at No. 2 could opt to put their pick up for auction, on the chance that a quarterback-needy team like the Browns or Redskins could put together a trade package and try to move up for the rights to Griffin. St. Louis is thought to be committed to keeping 2010 No. 1 pick Sam Bradford at quarterback.

Griffin has heard the speculation, but said he has a vested interest in hoping no blockbuster deal goes down, unless it involves only draft picks being dealt, not veteran players.

"Whatever team you go to, you want to have guys who help you be successful there," he said. "And if the trade involves players who are important to that team, it could rob you of the ability to compete. I don't want anyone giving up five guys, and I've heard references to the Herschel Walker trade. You don't want to go there. If teams want to trade just picks, that will work."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/02/03/robert-griffin/index.html?sct=nfl_bf2_a5

The Showstoppa

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26879
  • Call the vet, cause these pythons are sick!
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #21 on: February 18, 2012, 06:28:15 PM »
RGIII with Shanahan in Washington would be a perfect fit. 

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #22 on: February 20, 2012, 01:40:15 PM »
A few things you may not know about the top two QBs in the draft

It's time to meet and get to know a whole new group of NFL prospects. Starting Thursday in Indianapolis, 326 players, 750 media members and 900 agents or so will collide at the stadium the Manning brothers made famous, Lucas Oil, for the rites of passage from college to pro football known as the NFL Scouting Combine.

Every combine has a story, just as every draft has one. Often it's about the quarterback. Fourteen years ago, with a significantly smaller media crowd (maybe 10 or 12 reporters) on hand, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf competed to be No. 1, and Leaf came in overweight and botched his interview with the first-picking Colts, and the rest is history. Five years ago, it was the duel (yikes!) between JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, two guys who clearly did not like each other, for the top spot in the draft. This year, there's about as much drama accompanying the top pick as 2007. Al Davis wanted the big arm of Russell then. I believe Jim Irsay wants the risk-averse Andrew Luck of Stanford to lead the Colts now. We shall see. But prepare this week for an onslaught of news about Luck and the quarterback sure to be taken very soon after him (likely second if St. Louis trades the pick, or third or fourth if the Rams don't deal), Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

I spoke to their two coaches late last week, Art Briles of Baylor and David Shaw of Stanford, just to get a flavor of the two top prospects in the draft, and what impressed me was how similar the two quarterbacks are in many ways.

Both are 22 (born exactly five months apart). Both were recruited by Stanford. (Didn't know that, did you? Shaw, then Stanford's offensive coordinator, went hard after Griffin, even with Luck already in house; Griffin preferred Baylor, where he knew he'd have a chance to play early and often after starring at Briles' football camp.) Both were high school stars in Texas. (Luck at Houston Stratford, Griffin at Copperas Cove.) Both declared for the draft with a year of college eligibility left. Both starred academically; Griffin graduated with a 3.67 grade-point average in political science, and Luck was an academic All-America in architectural design and engineering. Both are athletic, though Griffin's more of an athlete. He had a Cam Newton-type career, with 2,199 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns at Baylor.

But what's most interesting aside from the football is what both coaches stressed about their players. I asked both coaches to tell me about the life each man is about to dive into. In college, there was pressure on the shoulders of both Luck and Griffin, obviously. College football is a pressure-packed sport at the level each was playing in. But, I told Shaw and Briles, both players are about to enter a different world. There will be pressure to succeed from a city, a region and the national and local media, and to succeed right away. They will be playing for teams, in all likelihood, that were not very good in 2011. They'll be looked at as saviors.

"How will they respond?'' I asked.

Shaw, on Luck: "You saw the USC game this year. Andrew threw an interception in the fourth quarter that they returned for a touchdown to put them up, and then we had to respond. He went to everybody on the offense on the sideline. His message was the same up and down the sideline: 'We have no choice here. We're going to take the ball downfield and score, and we're gonna win.' He drove them to the tying touchdown, and we won in overtime. That's who he is. He will not accept failure, in anything. Wherever he goes, he will have a drive to succeed. And when he gets picked, all the extraneous stuff, he'll do what he has to do.

"But all the stuff he can't control, I guarantee you he won't worry about it. He's a guy who will have faith in his coaches. I can't tell you how smart he is. I used to tell him, 'OK, take the stuff you don't want out of this game plan. Kill the plays you don't like.' He hated that. HATED it. The way he knows football, the coach coaches, and he plays. So wherever he goes, he's going to master what is in his control, and he's going to forget everything else. It's not his job.

"One other thing: I remember early on at Stanford, I told him one time, 'Andrew, this is your huddle, take charge of the huddle.' He looked at me and said, 'Coach, before that can be my huddle, I have to earn it. I don't want it handed to me.' That is how he will approach the NFL -- like whatever he gets, he'll earn. The position is about finding completions, about moving the offense. You watch how he played, how he checked down, how he always found the open receiver. He will have no ego about throwing the ball deep or throwing it short. He'll be throwing for completions.''
Briles, on Griffin: "The thing about Robert is he's a football player. Some of his happiest times are not when he's done something great himself, but when he's done something for a teammate. You ask him about our bowl game against Washington this year, and he'll tell you the play he loved was making a block downfield to spring our ballcarrier. That's what his new team will realize about him. It's not about the stats, or the fame. It's about elevating the team any way he can.

"I believe with Robert that going to a team that isn't very good will be inspiring to him. Because he'll realize he has to elevate that team any way possible. If you allow people responsibility, you'll soon find out if they have the capacity to handle it. Robert always could handle as much as you gave him. And I don't mean to keep coming back to this but a leader on a team is one who cares for everyone else before he cares for himself. And the excitement and gratitude he has for others on his team ... it's something I saw every game he ever played. That's going to translate to the NFL. This is a great team player.''
More about Griffin and Luck from Indy later in the week.

It's all good now. The news always is in February. But the sense you get from the scouts and GMs who are studying both players is you won't find many holes in either one -- and certainly not on the personal side.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/02/19/king.free.agents/index.html?xid=cnnbin

Dos Equis

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 63566
  • I am. The most interesting man in the world. (Not)
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2012, 08:50:24 AM »
Is he faster than Vick?

RGIII unofficially timed at 4.38 seconds in 40-yard dash
By NFL.com Staff

Published: February 26th, 2012 | Tags: 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, combine results, Robert Griffin III

INDIANAPOLIS — Robert Griffin III opened Sunday’s NFL Scouting Combine workouts with a flash, running 40-yard dashes in 4.38 and 4.41 seconds unofficially.

The Baylor QB, who’s expected to be picked in the top four of the NFL draft, didn’t do anything to hurt his stock, as no other signal-caller came close to his times. Griffin won’t throw at the combine, but he’s expected to do all other drills.

http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/02/26/rgiii-unofficially-timed-at-4-38-seconds-in-40-yard-dash/?module=HP11_headline_stack

wild willie

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 5642
Re: Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2012, 06:04:36 PM »
So I've been hearing that Luck is the undisputed no. 1 overall pick for the 2012 draft.  But I've been looking at the numbers on Baylor QB Robert Griffin.  Pretty amazing.

Haven't seen either one of them play.  For anyone who has watched both of them, what makes Luck that much better than Griffin? 
They are both sensational football players....I watched Luck play against Notre Dame...He had a good ball game.....Griffin is just as good...faster and a little more athletic....both guys are going to be fine professional players.