Ernie Accorsi: No Price Too High For Franchise QB

The St. Louis Rams have made it known that they will trade the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. After all, they already have Sam Bradford and they don't need to select Robert Griffin III as their franchise quarterback of the future.

Ernie Accorsi, the former New York Giants general manager who pulled off the controversial and now highly successful 2004 draft day trade for Eli Manning, has some advice for quarterback-needy teams who think RGIII can be their franchise guy. Make the move.

"If you ever get the chance to get the great quarterback, go get him," Accorsi said Friday during an appearance on ESPN Radio with Colin Cowherd.

The Giants traded the rights to Philip Rivers, and gave up three draft picks -- a No. 1, a No. 4 and a No. 5.

"I didn't think that was a high price to pay for what I thought was going to be an elite quarterback. But, you better be right.... If you make that trade and it turns out to be a bust it sets you back five, six, seven years.

"There's a tremendous risk, but if you're right I don't think there's a price that is too high."

Accorsi wouldn't really bite on giving a full evaluation of Griffin. He did, however, have some thoughts on evaluating current college quarterbacks and why young quarterbacks are acclimating more quickly to the NFL than ever before.

Accorsi said college football is "even more of a passing game than our game ... very rarely do you see any type of running game unless you're watching Alabama, LSU, those type of teams. They just have a spread formation, no backs, receivers spread out all over the field and they throw on every play."

"Now, your evaluating process is easier and they're getting developed as passers a lot faster. They're much more ready to play."