Robert Griffin III's Father Wants Son to Throw More, Run Less

After suffering torn ligaments in his knee during the Washington Redskins' postseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks and undergoing offseason surgery, Robert Griffin III's father has come out and said his son should be throwing the ball more and running less.

Robert Griffin Jr. told Dave Sheinin of The Washington Post that he believes his son should be able to utilize his receivers more and have his rushing attempts limited this year:

I just know that based on what I know Robert can do, he doesn't have to be a runner as much as I saw last year. To me, you're paying these [receivers] a lot of money to catch the football. I'm his dad—I want him throwing that football, a lot. A lot.

I think for [Griffin III], he likes some of the things that they do. And he feels any area where he had a concern, he addressed it. And I think [the Shanahans] have concerns, too. We want to have a united community. That first year everybody was just, "Wow." And now we have to look at sustainment. It can't be a "Wow" again.

As a father, the elder Griffin has every right to look out for the safety of his son—the more RGIII runs, the more likely another serious knee injury could occur.

Griffin ran the ball 120 times for 815 yards last season, but with a powerful running back like Alfred Morris, RGIII's father is right to question why there were so many rushes with the quarterback. Cut those attempts in half, and the team still has an effective weapon with a better chance of staying healthy for 16 games and beyond.

The Redskins have their own point of view and the ultimate call in which plays are drawn up, and they know the team is much better with RGIII on the field. The team also knows just how dynamic having a mobile quarterback can be for an offense.

After watching the rookie throw for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions, Washington knows what RGIII's arm is capable of accomplishing.

While there is no questioning that RGIII is a great running quarterback, there is also no questioning just how much damage he sustains running the ball and how that can affect his long-term status with the franchise.

The good news for everyone involved is that Griffin is already on the field for the Redskins doing some throwing drills, just two steps away from a full recovery, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer:

There is no doubt that RGIII's ability to carry the rock makes him a very dangerous threat, but for the future of the Redskins organization, running the ball with the quarterback less will decrease the likelihood that he will get severely injured again.

After trading the team's No. 6 overall pick in 2012, its second-round pick in 2012 and its first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 to acquire the franchise quarterback, keeping him healthy should be a top priority.

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