The Washington Redskins are committed to Robert Griffin III for potentially the next two seasons. Despite his up and down struggles after a strong rookie year, the quarterback has not looked like the face of the franchise Washington thought they were getting when they sold the farm for him. While Griffin will enter 2015 as the starting quarterback, the Redskins are making sure they have quality depth behind him as a backup plan.
Entering 2014 with a new head coach, there was belief that Kirk Cousins stood a chance to upset Griffin and win the starting job. That did not happen and when Cousins stepped in for the injured quarterback once again he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and was promptly benched. However, the Redskins are committed to Cousins since no one else is.
According to general manager Scot McCloughan via the Washington Post, the Redskins have not received any calls regarding a trade for Cousins. Last year, Cousins was a hot prospect as a number of teams were linked to trade deals. The backup quarterback went as far as to try and request a move in hopes of landing a starting job. Entering the final year of his contract, Cousins could be a solid short-term answer for teams, but Washington is opting to retain him on the chance that Griffin gets injured once again.
According to the Washington Post, the Redskins picked up Griffin's fifth-year option worth upwards of $16 million for 2016. If Griffin struggles, the chances the Redskins are able to trade that are very slim meaning he should be around for the next two seasons. Gruden has made it clear that while Griffin is getting the starting job, it is not guaranteed and he must show improvement in order to retain it.
Despite ESPN's John Clayton reporting the Redskins were in the mix to land Marcus Mariota in the draft, the contract to Griffin likely ends that pursuit. Instead, the team might be seeking to trade down from the No. 5 pick. If Mariota were to fall into the Redskins' lap, there is no telling if they would take him or not. They will get flooded with calls if that is the case. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are eyeing a move up the boards and if Mariota is around at No. 5, Washington will get a call from the team.
