4 best (almost) moments of Dan Snyder’s time as Commanders owner

Commanders traded up for Robert Griffin III

Again, I can hear you. The 2012 trade-up to select Robert Griffin III at pick No. 2 is considered by many to be the worst trade in franchise history. If you go by the outcome, that’s a reasonable case. But I contend that the move itself was not the problem.

It actually was a very good trade. True, the Washington Commanders gave up a king’s ransom – three firsts and a second. But they got their franchise quarterback who won NFL Rookie of the Year and led the team to the playoffs.

Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning had other-worldly seasons in 2012, and you could make the case that Griffin was just as good. You have to go back to Sammy Baugh in 1937 to find a rookie quarterback who had as good a first year for the Commanders.

And when you consider what the St Louis Rams did with all that draft capital, the trade itself becomes even better-looking. They moved a few of the pieces in subsequent years and essentially came out of the deal with eight players. Of them, Alec Ogletree and Janoris Jenkins were pretty good defensive players. Zac Stacy had a very good rookie season and then disappeared. A few of the others became role players.

Would you trade that for a franchise quarterback? I think so.

Dan Snyder showed with that trade that he was willing to take risks. He was willing to make bold moves to acquire a great quarterback.

His previous infatuations with veterans like Jeff George and Donovan McNabb were train wrecks, so he pivoted to throwing the dice on a kid. And unlike the situation with Scot McCloughan, this time, they had the right guy.

Yes – the trade itself was not the problem. It’s just that virtually every single decision regarding Griffin after the draft was dead wrong.

The organization that Snyder built – with its sketchy chain of command and back-channel communication between owner and star player, sabotaged Griffin and the entire organization. But that’s for a different article – one about all the things the billionaire did wrong.

The trade for Griffin was actually something he got right. Even though it turned out so badly.