Status of the RG3 sweepstakes

Robert Griffin III. UPI/John Angelillo

Rumors are all over the place when it comes to Robert Griffin III and possible trade partners for the St. Louis Rams for the #2 pick in the NFL Draft. Some of the speculation has gotten out of control, but everyone needs to keep in mind that free agency will have a huge impact on the RG3 market, and that the Rams might need to make this deal as soon as possible, as their leverage with teams like Cleveland and Washington might dry up as players like Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn hit the market.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a helpful update of the status of the trade talks.

So far, however, the quarterback-needy teams don’t seem to be in a hurry to get Griffin. They might be waiting to see what happens with Manning, Flynn and the others. They might be waiting to do their due diligence and watch Griffin throw at his pro day March 21.

In the meantime, the Rams are talking and will continue to talk with potential trade partners. According to league sources, this was the trade landscape entering the weekend:

• Cleveland (No. 4 pick): The Browns are unwilling at this point to include their second first-round pick, No. 22, as part of any trade package with the Rams.

• Washington (No. 6): The Redskins appear willing to trade their first-round pick next year, as well as their No. 6 overall pick this year. But they aren’t willing to include their second-rounder this year, which isn’t acceptable to the Rams.

• Miami (No. 8): This one appears to be dead in the water, somewhere off Florida’s Gold Coast. After losing the tug-of-war for coach Jeff Fisher, the Dolphins aren’t eager to do business with the Rams — or do the Rams any favors.

• Seattle (No. 12): No chance. The last thing the Rams want to do is send RG3 to a division rival and face him twice a year. The same applies for Arizona, which picks 13th.

I’ll be surprised if a team like the Browns is able to snag the #2 pick without including their extra first-round selection in this year’s draft (#22 overall), but anything is possible if the other suitors go with other options.

This column does throw cold water on some of the reports out there that the Redskins were making a ridiculous offer for the pick, and the Browns are clearly being cautious or coy here.

RG3 blew everyone away at the Combine, and there’s every reason to expect him to impress on his pro day as well, but it’s hard to imagine teams giving up the farm for the #2 pick without watching this kid throw in person. A pre-draft draft is still very possible, but the Rams may have to wait as Thomas explains in his article.

Hat tip: Hiram Boyd

You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates.

RG3 impresses at the combine

Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III. (UPI Photo/Ian Halperin)

The buzz keeps building. Robert Griffin III measured at 6′ and 2 and 3/8″ and then blew away the field with a 4.38 time in the 40. It’s not quite as fast as the rumored 40-imes for Micheal Vick, but it still confirms RG3’s amazing athletic ability. (Official time later reported to be 4.41 – still fast!)

He’s also impressing everyone in his interviews as well, which isn’t a surprise.

The key question now is what will it take for the Browns to get him.

Landry Jones decides to return for senior season

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones (12) passes in the 1st half of their NCAA football game in Tallahassee, Florida Sept 17, 2011. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Florida State Sminoles 23-13. UPI/Mark Wallheiser

There will be one less quarterback in the draft for the Browns to consider, as Landry Jones has decided to stay at Oklahoma. Coupled with the decision of Matt Barkley to stay at USC, a once crowded quarterback class headed by Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III is now less impressive.

Get ready for the RG3 buzz

Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III, shown here playing against Texas Tech on November 26, 2011, was announced as the recipient of the 77th Heisman Memorial Trophy on December 10, 2011 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. Griffin becomes the first Baylor player ever to win college football’s most prestigious award. (UPI Photo/Ian Halperin)

With a disappointing season winding down and with Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert unwilling to say definitively that Colt McCoy with be the guy next season, Browns fans are starting to think about the draft, and all the buzz seems to be around Robert Griffin III. The kid has a great arm, he’s smart and has excellent character. He’s also a dual threat and came out of nowhere to win the Heisman this year. Now he’s rocketing up draft boards.

One key to his draft status will be his height. He’s listed as 6′ 2″ so we’ll need to see his actual height when he goes to the NFL combine. We’ve seen with Colt and others that size can be critical for quarterbacks in the NFL.

Assuming his height checks out, this kid will get a ton of attention. It will be fascinating to see if Holmgren decides to go after a QB in the first round and which player he targets. With extra draft picks the Browns can move up if necessary.