The Robert Griffin III era effectively has come to an end in Washington with Redskins coach Jay Gruden naming Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback for the 2015 season. It would be in everyone's best interest to move on because RG3 doesn't fit into the team's short- or long-term plans and his presence has the potential to be a distraction. Gruden indicated that the Redskins are inclined to keep Griffin, the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Releasing RG3 isn't appealing because he counts for $6,719,713 on Washington's salary cap whether he is let go or kept. His $3,269,877 base salary is fully guaranteed without an offset. This means the Redskins would be on the hook for his entire salary even if he signed with another team after being released. The salary cap isn't an issue because the Redskins have approximately $11.5 million of cap room after Trent Williams' massive contract extension.
Trading RG3 has been dismissed as a viable option because no team will likely want to assume responsibility for his $16.155 million 2016 option year, which was guaranteed for injury when the Redskins picked it up, or his fully guaranteed 2015 salary. The 2016 guarantee would only kick in if RG3 was unable to play next year because of an injury sustained during the 2015 season. The option year becomes fully guaranteed on the first day of the 2016 league year, which is March 9.
How Redskins can swing a trade
These obstacles can be overcome once the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner is cleared from the concussion he suffered against the Detroit Lions on August 20. RG3 should be receptive to a contract renegotiation that would help facilitate a trade, especially if he feels like Gruden and the Redskins are treating him unfairly by benching him.
The renegotiation would be two-fold if there is an interested team. His 2016 option year would be modified so that the injury guarantee is removed and becomes a completely unsecured contract year for now.
There has only been one option-year modification under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement since option years for first-round picks have only come into play with the 2011 and 2012 draft classes. Instead of a fully guaranteed $9.754 million base salary, Aldon Smith reworked his 2015 option year salary before the March 10, 2015, guarantee date because of off-the-field problems. He was scheduled to receive that same amount from the San Francisco 49ers through an unguaranteed base salary, workout bonus, a series of offseason roster bonuses, roster bonuses for each game on the 53-man roster, injured reserve or physically unable to perform list and incentives for defensive playtime and sacks. He had made $1.1 million from his 2015 contract when the 49ers released him early in training camp after another off-the-field incident.
RG3's 2016 salary would remain at $16.155 million in the renegotiation, except it would become fully guaranteed five days after the start of the 2016 waiver period, which is next February 12. The waiver period always begins the day after the Super Bowl. RG3 could get roughly a month head start on free agency over his current option year if it was relinquished as the guarantee date approached.
Teams aren't allowed to include cash or cap room in trades under NFL rules. The way around it is for a player's team to convert salary into signing bonus prior to trading him. It operates essentially the same way as including cash or cap room because the acquiring team's cap hit and salary for the player in the current year are reduced.
This was done when the Jacksonville Jaguars traded Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens during the 2013 season. The St. Louis Rams did the same thing when they traded Jason Smith, the 2009 second overall pick, to the New York Jets near the end of the 2012 preseason. Another case is 2009 fourth overall pick Aaron Curry's in-season trade to the Oakland Raiders from the Seattle Seahawks in 2011. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, this concept is also being employed in Josh Scobee's trade from the Jaguars to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Redskins converting $2.6 million of salary into signing bonus may be necessary for a trade. When the trade is made, RG3's new $1.3 million of 2015 signing bonus proration from the renegotiation would remain on Washington's 2015 cap, along with the $3,449,836 of 2015 signing bonus proration from his rookie contract. RG3's 2015 cap hit for the Redskins would drop by almost $1.97 million to slightly under $4.75 million. There would be a 2016 cap charge of $1.3 million for the Redskins from the 2016 signing bonus proration in the renegotiation.
The acquiring team's cap charge for RG3 would only be his fully guaranteed $669,877 salary. RG3's league minimum base salary is $660,000. Eating salary in this manner could also be a way for the Redskins to increase the compensation received for RG3. Another trade option, which doesn't seem plausible, would be for RG3 to reduce his 2015 salary or waive its guarantee.
What Redskins could get in return
The Redskins wouldn't be able to get very much in return in for RG3. It would be the equivalent of a fire sale where something is better than nothing because the Redskins would be declining the option year after the season, assuming RG3 remained a backup.
Preseason quarterback trades at the roster cut down in recent years suggest that a late-round draft choice is realistic. The Houston Texans gave a 2016 seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots for Ryan Mallett last year. The pick could have increased to a sixth-round pick with Mallett receiving at least 40 percent playtime in 2014. The Seahawks traded Tarvaris Jackson for a 2013 seventh-round pick in a 2012 trade with the Buffalo Bills. The pick would have been a sixth-round pick instead if Jackson had been active for a minimum of six games. He was inactive for the entire season.
Potential landing spots
The Redskins' attempts to trade RG3 may require some patience where a quarterback injury early in the season could be required to spur interest. The same principle on the renegotiation would still apply with a delay. If trade possibilities become exhausted without any takers, releasing RG3 at that time would probably make sense.
Chip Kelly's offense probably best fits RG3's skill set. The Philadelphia Eagles head coach briefly recruited RG3 before he made an early commitment to Baylor. It could be a chance for Philadelphia to include 2013 fourth-round pick Matt Barkley in a deal since he is better suited for Gruden's West Coast Offense and could serve as Washington's third quarterback. A trade within the NFC East shouldn't be problematic. The two teams made a trade involving a starting quarterback in 2010 when Donovan McNabb went to the Redskins from the Eagles. The Arizona Cardinals learned the hard way last year that a team can't have too many competent quarterbacks. RG3 should welcome an opportunity to work with head coach Bruce Arians considering his reputation as a quarterback guru.
RG3's mobility might be Seattle's best chance to try to replicate what Russell Wilson does in the event of an injury to him. General manager John Schneider isn't a stranger to dealing draft picks.
The Dallas Cowboys would give RG3 the opportunity to return to his home state of Texas. Brandon Weeden is considered a below-average backup quarterback. Johnny Manziel's sore elbow on his throwing arm could also force the Cleveland Browns to look for outside quarterback help.
Joel Corry is a former sports agent who helped found Premier Sports & Entertainment, a sports management firm that represents professional athletes and coaches. Before his tenure at Premier, Joel worked for Management Plus Enterprises, which represented Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ronnie Lott.
