NFL Notes: Robert Griffin III, Patriots, Ravens

Robert Griffin III

Former Redskins HC Mike Shanahan mentioned during an appearance on FOX Sports 1 that Robert Griffin III really thought he was going to be the next Aaron Rodgers.

“I was really disappointed myself, because I knew where Robert was going,” Shanahan said, via the Washington Post. “I knew where his dad was going. I knew where [Redskins owner] Dan Snyder was going. It was up to me to convince this guy that, ‘Hey, if you don’t run, your drop-back game . . . it’s not there now, but you can get there.’ I blame myself for not getting to the kid. He really believes he was Aaron Rodgers. In his mind, he believed he was Aaron Rodgers. I said, ‘You know what? You’re not Aaron Rodgers, and Aaron Rodgers is not you.’ ”

Shanahan added that he stressed to Griffin the importance of him developing as a pocket-passer or he would likely be out of the league in four or five years.

“You can come back from that knee [injury], but what you have to do is get better at the drop-back game, doing some of the things we’ve been doing,” Shanahan said. “With that, I said, ‘You got a chance. If not, you’ll be out of the game in four to five years.’ ”

We have him featured in our Top 50 Available Free Agents list.

Patriots

• Mike Reiss fully expects TE Martellus Bennett to give the Patriots everything he has to offer, even though he’s dealing with a shoulder injury that he said requires surgery.
• Reiss mentions that in time, Bennett will obviously cut into Dwayne Allen‘s playing time, assuming that Rob Gronkowski remains healthy.
• Patriots WR Chris Hogan had his right arm in a sling a few days ago, which Reiss takes as an indication that he could be a few weeks away from returning.

Ravens

Ravens former first-round WR Breshad Perriman admitted that there’s a “little bit of pressure” on him to produce right now, considering that his NFL career hasn’t lived up to expectations.

“Of course, there is a little bit of pressure. But you can’t really buy into the pressure,” Perriman said, via ESPN.com. “I kind of put a little pressure on myself as well. At the same time, I have to look past that. It’s really all about me going out there, relaxing and believing in my abilities.”

There have been concerns about Perriman’s confidence after he has struggled both on the field and with injuries.

“I don’t know how you could play in this league, or get to the point that he’s gotten as a pro, or any player at this level, and not be confident,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I think all of the players are very confident. Doing it in the NFL and making those plays, it’s probably something that once you do it, you probably feel a little bit better about your ability to do it time and time again. So hey, go make a catch; you’re a wide receiver. It’s not just him — it’s any other player. Go make a catch; run a good route.”