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Mike Shanahan: Redskins considered drafting Russell Wilson in 2012

Mary Langenfeld-US PRESSWIRE / Reuters

Former Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan revealed Wednesday that Washington considered drafting Russell Wilson in 2012 to serve as Robert Griffin III's backup. 

Wilson ended up going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 75 overall, while the Redskins selected Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.

"Even in the third round, we were thinking about picking Russell Wilson, just because we thought he presented the same problems as Robert," Shanahan, who was fired by the Redskins following the 2013 season, told ESPN 980, according to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. "And if you could have a guy as your first- and second-team quarterback who both had the same type of athletic ability, you would give yourself a chance. So that was being talked about, but obviously it didn't happen.

"And when Kirk was there, he was a little different style of quarterback – more of a drop-back, play-action type guy. But we felt we had to have some depth. We felt the quarterback (position) was more loaded in 2012 than it was the two previous years, and we were gonna take advantage. And when Kirk was there, that's why we took him."

Shanahan also said Washington considered signing quarterback Peyton Manning when he hit the open market earlier that spring.

"We were talking to Peyton at that time," Shanahan said. “That was a strong consideration. Talked to him (for) a number of hours out at my house one day. He was a guy that we were strongly thinking about, but at the end of the day, I really felt with Eli (Manning) being with the (New York) Giants, that he was not going to come in our direction."

The Redskins ended up trading six draft picks to the St. Louis Rams to select Griffin at No. 2 overall. While he supported the decision at the time, Shanahan said he would have felt differently had he known Washington was going to be hit by salary-cap penalties because of it.

"I don't think you could have made the deal," Shanahan said. "Any time you're gonna lose two number ones and a number two, and you’re gonna get penalized like you did (where) obviously you can't bring players in, it would be very hard to make that decision."

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