In most years when a teams selects the second overall player in the NFL Draft, they are a team in need of a rebuild and they are a team that missed out on the opportunity to select the draft crop's best quarterback. Most would say that the Redskins missed out on the draft's best quarterback, but they certainly didn't miss on a chance to take a top QB prospect as they found themselves with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
After trading up to select RG3, there is plenty of optimism in Washington. But the 2012 Redskins will likely depend heavily on the performance of the rookie quarterback. In ProFootballTalk's latest update to their preseason power rankings, they ranked the Redskins as the league's No. 24 team, but spoke of the potential of an exciting season for the team.
Griffin could be the next rookie quarterback to hit the ground running and the restored confidence could cover enough flaws for the team to take advantage of an out-of-division schedule that looks like it is on the softer side. Even that might not be enough to put them in playoff contention, but it could make 8-8 a possibility and that would be a significant step forward for the team.
The Redskins are annually at a disadvantage in the NFC East which is notoriously tough. Like PFT says, a significant step forward for a team led by a rookie would be a good move for the Redskins.
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