Tag: Eric Bickel

Commanders may not be impressed with this draft

Are the Commanders even interested in a wide receiver at No. 11 overall?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Sports Junkies’ Eric Bickel unveiled Thursday that he has a source informing him that the Washington Commanders front office is not high on this upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

Bickel on the morning 106.7 The Fan show said it was explained to him that usually in the first round there are 10-12 players that everyone covets as special and then there is a drop-off. Well, EB said he was told this year, that the Commanders feel there are about two elite players to trade up for in this draft.

“My understanding is they don’t love this draft,” Bickel said. “It makes sense why they went after Carson Wentz. They don’t really want to take a receiver at No. 11 either. What they want to do is trade out. Which makes sense, and if they can’t they will take the best player available.”

“If they loved any of the quarterbacks in this draft they wouldn’t have put their reputation on a guy that is sort of dicey as Carson. I think Carson could go either way. He could hit, but he could also bust.”

“They don’t really think there is great value at receiver at 11 for them. They are hoping someone falls in love with a guy at 11, moves up to get him and they can move down and pick up some other picks.”

Washington has six picks this year (Rd 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 7) and Jason Bishop was not shy, pointing out the first four picks by Ron Rivera and the staff each of the last two seasons has not been impressive with the exception Bishop made of Antonio Gibson. “I just don’t put a lot of stock into what Ron Rivera and that scouting department and the Marty’s really see in this draft. That’s just me. They didn’t do great the last two drafts.” Bishop then did correct himself saying he had forgotten about John Bates having a good rookie year.

Bickel, on occasion, has mentioned a source that provides him some insider information. It will be interesting to see if Bickel’s source was playing him, knowing it would get on the airwaves, or actually being truthful with him.

 

Robert Griffin III again fails to deliver

Robert Griffin III’s alleged “tell-all” book about his time in Washington isn’t happening after all. Hmmmm……

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Similar to his NFL career, Robert Griffin’s tell-all book has also gone south very quickly.

Griffin who had an outstanding 2012 season and then informed coaches he would no longer run the offense that fit him perfectly, quickly learned he was not the pocket passer he fancied himself to be, never again experiencing NFL success.

Only months after boldly proclaiming on November 30 he was providing NFL and Washington fans an exclusive tell-all book, it has apparently died just as quick a death.

Griffin had promised details of the medical mismanagement he had received, the sexual harassment permeating the organization’s walls and the deep power struggle between Mike Shanahan and Daniel Snyder.

Griffin in his audio promo said, “I am so excited to announce I wrote a book, and it’s coming out August 2022, entitled, “Surviving Washington.” So, Griffin was claiming to have already written the book?

Why has Griffin deleted the promotional video from Twitter? Why is the pre-order link on Simon and Schuster’s website inactive? Voluminous, terribly written books are published annually. So, why wasn’t this book published? Do you think there was a book written?

“The Sports Junkies” Eric Bickel deserves some credit on this one. While nearly everyone announcing the book was speculating how much Robert would detail, Bickel from the start was having absolutely none of it.

Raising his voice in confidence, he had proclaimed on the Sports Junkies that this book would never occur, never see the light of day.

Even more, when many Washington commentators in 2014 (print, or airwaves) were taking the safe route, wondering when Griffin would develop into an NFL quarterback, who could succeed in the pocket, it was Bickel who boldly proclaimed on the Sports Junkies that fans were clueless and did not understand that it was already over for Robert Griffin. (Actually what Bickel declared was much bolder–and more entertaining; here is the link).

Bickel is an admitted homer; a homer who has always rooted for the team and objectivity sometimes gets lost (it does for all of us). However, he has been on to Robert Griffin longer than most. Therefore, Thursday’s Sports Junkies segment announcing the cancellation of the Robert Griffin tell-all project was in essence a victory lap for Eric Bickel.

When Ryan Fitzpatrick went down in this season’s first game, there was Robert Griffin tweeting for Washington to make the call to himself, so he could come in and rescue the 2021 team. Bickel proclaimed Thursday, “I don’t think he is a bad guy, but he is the biggest attention-whore in football… I know him so well, and I’ve never met him,” expressed Bickel.

The more things change, the more things stay the same, for Robert Griffin.