Mark Twain once said, “Comparison is the death of joy.” Well, boys and girls, label me a killjoy here, if you want. Because in the world of fantasy football, what more do we have to make our all-important draft, start/sit and trade choices? Very little, my friends. Very little. So let the comparisons begin.
Today, we’ll look at two young NFL quarterback, who’ve taken vastly different paths to the NFL—and may well have contrasting futures, as well.
Robert Griffin III entered the NFL a season ago with stardust emitting from his trademark dreadlocks. A three-sport high school star athlete and model leader (class president), he entered college as the fourth-best dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school in 2008, according to Rivals.com. Having multiple Division 1-A program offers from which to choose, he chose Baylor, in part so that he could also run track in Baylor’s top track and field program.
From there, we know of the accolades: he led Baylor’s football program to relative significance in his three years—the team was ranked for only the third time in the previous 15 years—while racking up multiple individual awards, including becoming the first Baylor Heisman Trophy winner, after the 2011 season.
The Redskins traded half of owner Daniel Snyder’s tie collection to move up in the draft, getting RGIII with the No. 2 pick in 2012.
After signing a $21 million contract, inclusive of a $13.8 million signing bonus, his rookie season kicked off with a bang as the unanimous starter from Day 1—being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in his first start, and September’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September.
And so it went … until injuries mounted late in the season.
All in all, Griffin III was almost universally regarded as a gamer and undisputed leader—as well as pop culture icon … a quality start to an NFL career.
Colin Kaepernick too, was an amazing three-sport high school star—with most of his achievements coming on the baseball diamond, receiving several college baseball scholarship offers and even being drafted by the Cubs in 2009. However, his heart was set on suiting up on the gridiron. His brother even became his pimp, sending out highlight reels to roughly 100 Division 1-A schools; yet, no school came a’calling.
Finally, the University of Nevada offered Kaepernick a football scholarship, only after an assistant saw him dominate a high school basketball game. Wait, I thought that only worked for NFL tight ends. Anyhow, as a redshirt freshman at Nevada, he barely played until halfway through the season, but quickly began making an impact.
He ultimately became the only player in NCAA history to accumulate over 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing for 3 consecutive seasons.
His entry into the NFL was understated, as well, being selected at No. 45 overall in the 2011 draft by San Francisco.
Kaepernick initially did his best Aaron Rodgers imitation … carrying a clipboard, as Alex Smith’s backup, for all of the 2011 and the first half of the 2012 season, until Smith’s Week 10 injury opened the door for his meteoric burst onto the public scene.
As a gunslinger his teammates loved to love on, he led the 49ers all the way to the brink of a Super Bowl victory, capping an improbable rise to stardom, along with endorsement opportunities of his own.
And so, here we are, nearly a year later; but where do these two go from here? The skill sets of these two is undeniable.
Griffin III—when healthy—has world-class speed, and appears not only fast but also quick, which theoretically should increase his escapability factor. [Reference that memorable, mad scramble versus Giants last year.] He has solid arm strength (coming out of college, I heard the term ‘cannon’) and seemed to be able to place the deep ball effectively … at least in his rookie season. He is surrounded by a workhorse running back and, presently, a coach that schemes to work the run game. His wide receiver corps is … well, pedestrian, beyond Pierre Garcon; I don’t really see wide receivers winning battles for him downfield on his less accurate throws. And the Redskins do have a more than capable backup in place, Kirk Cousins, which could keep him on a shorter leash than one might expect.
Update: Multiple sources indicate that RGIII has been benched in favor of Cousins and will sit out Week 15's contest against the Atlanta Falcons.
One area of concern? According to my eye test, he just takes shots, ending up on his back, entirely too easily and often.
[Yes, that last sentence could fit into another sort of fantasy column somewhere.] On zone reads. On pocket passes. On tarp slips long after the play is over.
Those things add up, friends. I’m afraid if he doesn’t stay upright, his body might actually break in half, a la Mike Vick.
Again, RGIII's leadership was one of his strongest intangibles touted coming into the league. He seemed destined to greatness not only as a quarterback, but heck, even as a DC mover and shaker politician.
Or, if that fails, I’m sure his Subway residuals could last a good while. His injuries and the controversy they has sparked—combined with his somewhat perplexing relationships with coach Mike Shanahan and Snyder—leaves his not-so-distant future a bit cloudy.
His leadership is being questioned; teammates look to be a bit cool to his tactics. Or is this as much a result of losing in the hot-seat Redskin nation? Did he start too quickly or strongly his rookie year, and expectations are set too high? When will he be fully healthy? Will Shanahan-igans be gone after the season, or even before end of season, opening the door to a new system?
If RGIII's arm was described as a cannon, then young Kaepernick’s could well be a spaceship rocket launcher. He flicks 50 yard spirals with ease and has placement. His baseball pitcher arm is in full effect when he fires a fastball into tight coverage. His rebel playing style—especially when on the run—certainly opens him up for taking big hits, like the Week 1 hit from Clay Matthews.
The maverick in him seems to welcome tough play; yet, to date, he’s avoided the injury bug. Coach Jim Harbaugh appears dead-set on keeping Kaepernick in win/win scenarios by surrounding him with one of the best offensive lines in the league, multiple hard-nosed and hungry runners, and a deep and tough (albeit not emphatically talented) receiver corps. And don’t forget the Niners play a tough brand of defense, to keep games from (typically) getting out of hand.
Kaepernick’s intangibles are not to be dismissed or diminished, despite the fact that his tactics may be, simply put, less polished or mainstream, the McDonald’s commercials notwithstanding. He strikes me as more of a locker room leader, ‘just one of the guys’—perhaps because he was a true backup for his first season and a half, and didn’t walk into a starter / superstar role from day one. Perhaps it’s that he worked so hard for that college scholarship, and found his way to the NFL via small the college route. Perhaps because he’s willing to bet an eyebrow shave. Or, maybe not. Whatever the case, it appears his teammates have his back, and he theirs.
So for my money, if all things remain roughly the same (same team, coaching system, no further injuries), I lean Mr. Kaepernick. Not that I’m ready to kick Griffin III to the curb just yet, as he’s got a winner’s mentality and will bounce back. But the overall package just feels like it’s working for Kaepernick. Especially that hipster bicep flex kiss thing.
And … I apologize, Sirs Griffin or Kaepernick, if this whole comparison exercise has killed any of your joy. I blame Mark Twain.