Since the moment Kirk Cousins was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round, there have been rumors, forecasts and suspicions that a quarterback controversy was brewing. Ron Jaworski loudly proclaimed this as a poor pick, saying:
"You've created more problems than you've solved!"
With the Redskins training camp opening this week, all eyes will be on the quarterback position and the two rookies: Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.
Before I go any further, I want to pump the brakes for a minute and respond to the media and fan criticism of the Kirk Cousins pick. Cousins was a highly valued quarterback prospect and fell into a position where Mike Shanahan felt comfortable drafting him. Yes, there were other players available who might have had a more immediate impact, but that is the only legitimate criticism that should be voiced over this pick.
If you disagree with drafting Cousins because you would have rather the Redskins drafted a defensive back or offensive linemen, fine. That is a fair point, and part of me feels that way also. But the hype about a "quarterback controversy" needs to end now!
Robert Griffin III has dominated the sports and media world ever since he was drafted, and he is the clear starter. Mike Shanahan made a point to come out early and state, "He's the starter, period." There has been nothing from rookie mini camps, or any other venue, to suggest there is a quarterback controversy.
The funny thing about a quarterback controversy is that it is typically media driven, and thus a self-fulfilling prophecy. If analysts, columnists or anchors want there to be a quarterback controversy all they have to do is talk about one. It has become irrelevant to some extent what teams and players do. As long as the media mentions a controversy they have one, whether there really was one or not.
So why will Kirk Cousins push RG3 in training camp? He won't, it's that simple. Cousins is a good quarterback with great potential, but he is not in the same sentence as RG3.
Cousins will battle with Rex Grossman for the number two job in Washington, and will most likely earn it at some point (whether in training camp or in the season). However, he will be in a backup role, and will not see enough reps in training camp to outperform RG3.
Now, we do not know which quarterback has memorized more of the playbook yet, and it's possible Cousins could push Griffin in some small areas in the classroom (I emphasize possible). But more likely than not, Cousins will fulfill the role of backup quarterback as we all expect, and put the quarterback controversy talks to bed.
This idea that drafting Kirk Cousins would put extra pressure on RG3 and potentially damage his development is ludicrous. The Redskins paid a king's ransom to move up and draft RG3, and cemented him as the starter in early May.
Griffin is not fazed by the draft selection, it's just another draft pick. There was going to be two or three other quarterbacks in camp when Griffin arrived, where they came from is irrelevant. None of these players (Grossman, Cousins, or Crompton) were brought in to seriously compete for the starting job.
So if you want to help the situation, or reach some conclusion to this "quarterback controversy", stop talking about it. There is no meat on that bone, and it is merely a self-fulfilling argument at this point. I can only hope that Griffin dazzles enough in training camp to quell any one still clinging to this notion.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1271425-why-kirk-cousins-will-push-rgiii-in-training-camp
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