Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

ES: Gary Clark compares RGIII to LeBron James


themurf

Recommended Posts

8133692379_c58231c977.jpg

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Even though the Washington Redskins had the weekend off, it was still a stressful Sunday for ‘Skins fans.

That’s because playoff hopefuls were losing starting quarterbacks left and right, with Chicago’s Jay Cutler, San Francisco’s Alex Smith and Philadelphia’s Mike Vick all sidelined due to concussions.

While Redskins fans have no love lost for any of those three franchises, the fact is quarterback Robert Griffin III has already missed time this season because of a concussion. And although the playoffs are certainly a long shot for Washington, the franchise’s long-term success hinges on a healthy RGIII.

For as ugly as things have been this season, at least the Redskins know they have a legitimate playmaker at the game’s most vital position.

Although he’s only played in nine NFL games, Griffin has shown enough during his limited time in the burgundy and gold to make some of the greatest names in franchise history gush over him. So much so that three receivers — Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders, affectionately known as “The Posse” — can’t help but think of what it would be like to play alongside the 22-year-old phenom.

“From my standpoint, we were very fortunate with the quarterbacks we had,” Clark said. “But I tell you what … you can’t say enough about this young man. I had the chance to meet his dad the other night and it’s clear he comes from a quality family. I can see where he gets it all from. His father is a great man and RGIII’s numbers on the field speak for themselves.

“He’s like the LeBron James of the NFL,” Clark continued. “He came in at such a young age, he’s so composed, he knows exactly what to say and what not to say. To me, he’s the perfect player.”

Because LeBron James is such a polarizing player off the court who revolutionized the game on it, I asked Clark to further explain exactly what he meant.

Was this Clark’s way of warning the nation’s capital that it’s only a matter of time before RGIII rips our collective heart out and “takes his talents to South Beach” or was he actually saying it as a compliment?

“What I really mean is he’s already beyond his years,” said Clark. “A lot of young guys and you put a camera in front of them or a microphone in front of them, what comes out of their mouth is not necessarily what the coaches or the team wants them to say. But they’re young and just don’t know any better. He’s not that what whatsoever. You’re not going to trick him into saying something he doesn’t want to say. He’s never going to say anything to diminish his teammates. Even if he thinks it, he’s not going to say anything about it. He’s always going to stand up there and say, ‘It’s my fault. This is my team and I need to do better. We win together and we lose together.’ I admire that about him.”

Okay, with that cleared up, it was time to let some of the other receivers in on the action.

“During our time, we didn’t have mobile quarterbacks,” Monk said. “But we were so diverse in our offense that we were able to make big plays and make things happen. But in this situation, when you have a quarterback who can stand there and deliver a perfect pass in the pocket, while also being such a threat running the ball, it can really open things up for your offense.”

Which is why, if Sanders had his way, the Redskins would sign him to a new contract today.

“Just to reiterate what Gary was saying, we had some great quarterbacks in Doug Williams, Jay Schroeder and Mark Rypien,” said Sanders. “But this young man, all I can say in ‘Wow.’ I’d like to go put a uniform on today and I’m 50-something years old. There’s just not enough I can say about him. He’s already a great player. Give him another year or two and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s playing in the Super Bowl.”

Call me a cynic, but at this point, I’d be happy if the team finished a season with a winning record. That being said, it’s understandable why the last group of players to win anything noteworthy for this franchise are so high on Griffin.

“What I like about him is he’s able to have three or four different throws as a quarterback,” Clark said. “He recognizes his personnel — who catches the ball really well, who catch the ball good and who has trouble catching the ball. With each one of those different types of receiver, he throws a different ball. If I’m a person whose hands are a little bit suspect,* he throws a ball that’s easier to catch as opposed to someone who has great hands. With them he can put it in there at 100 miles per hour and know they’re gonna catch it. To be able to recognize all of that and still see everything else out on the field, it’s very, very impressive.”

*Niles Paul.

Did you guys honestly believe Griffin was going to be this good this quickly though?

“The great ones do,” Clark said. “That’s why they’re great, because they always rise to the top. A typical rookie won’t, but the great players — which he’s already showing he is — this is what’s expected of them. Quite honestly, it’s expected of RGIII.”

With all three members of “The Posse” saying so many good things about Griffin, I thought it was only fair to give Rypien a chance to join the conversation. After all, he’s already got the hardware RGIII is hoping to one day earn.

Be honest, when you watch Griffin play, it’s pretty much like seeing yourself in a mirror, right? Same game, just a different jersey number, right?

“Oh god no,” he said with a laugh. “Not unless I’m dreaming. This kid’s got more talent in one pinkie than a lot of us do in our whole bodies. Plus he’s humble and very grounded. All of the accolades he got in college were well deserved and he’s starting to portray some of those same qualities here in his pro career. He’s fun to watch and I think once they figure this whole thing out and guys start catching the football for him, I think he’s got a pretty good opportunity to be really good. And I think they’ve got an opportunity to be pretty good too.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it’s only a matter of time before RGIII rips our collective heart out and “takes his talents to South Beach”

My first thought yeah...

Snyder wouldn't let that happen. If he would tell Snyder, want to take my talents to South Beach...then Snyder would say: Robert, don't worry I will bring South Beach to you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just close your eyes and imagine what this team would be like with RGIII, the posse, hogs, etc.

:drool:

wow what a team that would be! If we just had the defense we had in the 80s and early 90's, this team would be well in 1st place.

---------- Post added November-13th-2012 at 10:38 AM ----------

Wouldn't be fair. We'd be to the rest of the NFL what Alabama is to CFB.

Monk could break 2000 yards in a given season with RGIII throwing to him and some modern equivalent of the Hogs blocking for RGIII (though a modern equivalent of the Hogs would basically be a OL of Trent Williams clones)

How nice it was when we had 3 receivers with over 1000 yards and a 1000 yard RB, and only 9 sacks on our QB all year, who was as mobile as a statue. That's a complete offense there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Murf-good post as usual. Nice to hear from former Skins who represented their team so well back in the day. Its good they are giving positive statements too because with our current record any positive stories you can provide

is a huge plus for our fan base who often feels beaten down lately. We really need some decent new receivers to team up with RGIII along with some good offensive line and defensive secondary help too. Hope springs eternal

as the saying goes for now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another Gary C. Clark article!! :cloud9:

Honestly, Gary Clark is the best talker I've come across during my time covering this team. He's obviously well respected for how he played the game, but he's also very knowledgeable and very engaging. When he spoke about Griffin delivering the football differently to different receivers it reminded me that he really does see things differently than most people who watch the game. Basically, I'll talk to the guy any chance I can because of his unique perspective and his laid back personality.

Nice work, Murf!!

Laughed out loud to myself at the Niles asterisk..lol

I mean, seriously ... who else could Clark have been talking about?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...