The Washington Redskins are one of the many teams preparing to go through big changes in the offseason. The team is not having the season they were expecting. Their quarterback play has been an absolute struggle despite having a healthy Robert Griffin III to work with. They are currently 3-7 sitting in third place in the division after a terrible loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Dan Snyder opts to make changes, who stays and who goes?
According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, head coach Jay Gruden could be the one out in Washington when the year is over. As locker room and media drama begin to overtake the team, it could be the head coach that begins to get the heavy blame for everything. Speaking financially, Gruden is the easier cut. The Redskins already have $3.2 million in fully guaranteed money wrapped into Griffin, so the likelihood that he is out-right released is slim. The Redskins can opt to not pick up his fifth-year option, but they would lose money by releasing him.
Is there a trade market for Griffin? Several teams would love to pick up the dynamic quarterback, but might not be willing to give up what Washington would ask for him. The Redskins gave up four draft picks in both the first and second rounds of several drafts in order to get the quarterback. They are not going to accept some middle-round pick and cash for Griffin. That makes the trade market incredibly small considering the talent entering the NFL this year and number of free agents set to be available.
This brings the finger pointing back to Gruden. Florio points out that while it seems crazy, the idea of a one-and-done coach is not farfetched. The Cleveland Browns fired Rob Chudzinski in 2013 after one year. The Seattle Seahawks dumped Jim Mora after a year and the Raiders got rid of Hue Jackson in 2011 after one season. The Redskins may opt to cut ties with Gruden as it is an easier change than moving Griffin.
This is mere speculation regarding the job status of Gruden. The Redskins may opt to keep everyone and just chase a quarterback like Michael Vick or Brian Hoyer that could start next season if Griffin struggles once again. The team has a first-round draft pick they could use to bring in a high-profiled rookie to challenge Griffin. The Redskins have high expectations for the team and for Griffin, but fixing things when those expectations are not met is easier said than done.
