Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 948: 947 A Risky Move

In 2012, during the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins made a massive trade with the St. Louis Rams, giving up their first-round picks for the next three years and a second-round pick that year to acquire the second overall top pick and gamble everything on selecting Robert Griffin III, using the future of the team to secure this cornerstone quarterback.

This move remains one of the best cautionary tales in NFL Draft history.

On one hand, Griffin III suffered injuries. Despite showcasing exceptional performance in his first two seasons, making it seem like Washington had found its dynasty cornerstone, Griffin III quickly burned out like a meteor, leaving the Redskins wounded and diminished.

On the other hand, the Redskins bet their team’s future for three years. Whether Griffin III was worth it or not, it was a risky gamble. Even if Griffin III had stayed injury-free, forfeiting three years of first-round picks proved to be a critical weakness.

Every experience is also a lesson—

Don’t sacrifice your team’s future lightly. In the world of football, although quarterbacks are incredibly important, it is a team sport, and building a complete team cannot be narrowly focused on just one position.

For this reason, even though NFL teams have increasingly prioritized young talent, including identifying potential stars among rookie and sophomore players, the league as a whole still shuns risk. Teams often need more time to observe before deciding whether to make their move.

Thus, over the years, rookie players are typically considered for contract negotiations only after their four-year rookie contracts end. Only an exceptionally small number of third-year players garner enough attention to be offered early renewal, becoming genuine cornerstones for their teams.

As for second-year players?