INDIANAPOLIS -- Robert Griffin III said during his press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine Friday afternoon that hes had a private interview with one team so far.
The Eagles.
The Eagles?
Griffin, who won the Heisman Trophy last year as a Baylor junior, is expected to be long gone by the time the Eagles pick at No. 15 in the draft in April. Griffin and Stanfords Andrew Luck are expected to be the top two picks in the draft.
Griffin completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdowns and six interceptions and an NCAA-adjusted passer rating of 192.3 this past season. He also ran for 644 yards and nine more touchdowns. In his college career, he threw for over 10,000 yards, completed 66 percent of his passes and had 77 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions.
Why would the Eagles use 15 minutes of interview time to meet with a guy wholl be long gone by the time they pick?
Its actually routine for teams to meet with players they have no realistic chance of drafting if that player is as special as Griffin. Its just teams doing their due diligence and taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know a kid who could soon be one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the game.
NFL
An Eagles source said the team meets with the projected top few picks every year at the Combine and said the meeting with Griffin was strictly routine and certainly shouldnt be interpreted as any sort of reflection on incumbent starter Michael Vick.
The first four picks in the upcoming draft are controlled by teams with strong Eagles connections at the topthe Colts, with general manager Ryan Grigson; the Rams, with head coach Jeff Fisher; the Vikings and head coach Leslie Frazier; and the Browns, with head coach Pat Shurmur.
Griffin was asked who he compares his game with, and he mentioned some familiar names.
Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, guys people think Ive never seen play like Kenny Stabler, he said. Guys that extend that play. John Elway is another guy who extended the play. They went from within the pocket, but they also know how to go outside the pocket.
I think thats what the games kind of turning to with guys like Drew Brees, who run a little bit, and Aaron Rodgers who can move around a little bit.
Although most expect Luck to be taken first, Griffin said he considers himself the No. 1 quarterback in the draft.
You have to, he said. As a quarterback, when you step on the field, if you dont believe youre the best youre not going to go out there and perform like youre the best.
As competitors, you both want to be the best. Whether I go No. 1 or not, its not going to change who I am, its not going to change my confidence. But Id be a fool to say I dont want to go No. 1 in the draft because I think I do, Andrew does, Matt Kalil does, Trent Richardson does.
You ask any of them, they want to go No. 1. Its not that I think they should not pick him or they should pick me. We all want to be the best so Im not going to sit here and say I dont want to go No. 1.
Luck said the draft isnt a battle between himself and Griffin.
Good thing about football is it's a team game, he said. Robert's a great quarterback, a great competitor, a great guy, really easy to get along with. I don't get motivation by competing against him for something.
I don't think it's one player vs. another by any means. Important to be No. 1? Absolutely. Everybody wants to be No. 1, but not at the expense of another person.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com.