A Grain of Saul: RG3 is worth the price

Finally, the Washington Redskins have done something I’m excited about.

Come fall, Robert… Finally, the Washington Redskins have done something I’m excited about.

Come fall, Robert Griffin III will be the 13th starting quarterback for the Redskins since the 2001 season.

Washington’s owner Dan Snyder can only hope it will be a lucky 13.

After giving up so much ­— a first round pick in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as a second-round pick in this year’s draft ­— the team will experience the effects of a few enormous implications:

Firstly, the Redskins have completely bought the hype on Griffin. To give away what they gave away in order to move up four spots in the draft, the scouts must have seen something from Griffin that put them over the edge.

Secondly, Griffin just became the most valued quarterback in the NFL draft. Did you hear that, Andrew Luck? While you try and replace Peyton Manning in what has been a successful franchise, Griffin will be stepping into a lost organization — one that just put all the eggs of their future in his basket.

Thirdly, this means that the Redskins think they can build around Griffin through free agency. They don’t have a pick in this year’s draft after Griffin until the third round, and they’re $40 million under the cap. With names like Vincent Jackson on the market, you can expect Washington to throw a lot of money at big talents.

So while the price was monumental, how should all the other Redskins fans and I feel now? Only Griffin’s play will prove his worth, but for now, we should all be happy.

While most dreadlocked, athletic, human-highlight-reel football players seem pompous and arrogant, Griffin is humble, well spoken and intelligent.

Grantland writer Michael Weinreb described him as “one of the most self-aware and charismatic and intelligent football players I’ve ever spent time around.”

As a political science major who was called “The Ambassador” by his teammates in college, Weinreb even speculated that Griffin’s future in D.C. could be just as important in the political arena as on the gridiron. He will be the face of the nation’s capital during one of the most tumultuous times our country has ever seen. His impact could be beyond any of our expectations.

Surely, Griffin will have to win Washington’s heart on the field with his play. But aside from an injury (I’ve already had one nightmare), not much can go wrong. Griffin is big, strong and incredibly fast. He is the median between Mike Vick and Cam Newton, perhaps even a reincarnation of Redskin great Doug Williams.

When quarterbacks have strong arms and freakish mobility, things always stay interesting. Even when the Carolina Panthers were losing last year, how often did you watch Cam Newton on TV? I bet every Panthers fan enjoyed their 6-10 losing season with Newton at the helm more than those 9-7 “winning” seasons with Jake Delhomme.

Besides, who else would be the Redskins quarterback? Peyton Manning is too smart and too slow to play in D.C. in a system that relies on a quarterback’s mobility. Rex Grossman showed us all he’ll never be a winner. John Beck proved he’s an average backup quarterback. That leaves …. Kyle Orton? No thanks.

So in this upcoming year, Redskins fans can look forward to a quarterback who knows what to say and when to say it.

They will see Vick and Griffin going head to head … twice. We will all get to utter that super fly nickname, “RG3,” whenever we want. Jersey sales will go up. Ticket sales will go up. Our team will be back in the first 30 minutes of SportsCenter. We’ll be in top plays and popular highlights, followed closely by everyone in the country and, shoot — we might even win a few games!