Robert Griffin III is clearly on the hot seat heading into a make-or-break 2015 season. But head coach Jay Gruden, who reportedly wanted to get rid of Griffin a month and a half ago, is showing support for the former No. 2 overall pick and expects him to make a “big jump” in his second year in Gruden’s system.
“Going into year two in this system should be a big jump, you know,” Gruden said of Griffin, via the Washington Post. “You’re not really thinking about who’s where, what’s my footwork. Everything should come a lot more natural for you, and hopefully, we see that transition from year one to year two in this system with the terminology and knowing where to go with your footwork and anticipation of getting the ball out quicker.”
Griffin is coming off the worst season of his career, where he threw for just 1,694 yards with a 4:6 TD-to-INT ratio through nine contests (seven starts) and was benched in favor of Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy.
RGIII isn’t a natural fit for the conservative, pass-happy system Gruden wants to run, but they’re working out the kinks and have both been pleased with the progress they’ve made together in film sessions this spring.
“You definitely feel a difference,” Griffin said. “But the day you stop changing and adapting yourself and growing as a player is the day that you shouldn’t be playing anymore. So every year, you step on that field, you find those things that you want to work on, you listen to your coaches, you work on the things they want you to work on and you become a better and better player. You continue to water that Chinese bamboo and chop at that wood. We’re looking forward to allowing that tree to sprout up and I look forward to it.”
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