By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — With the NFL preseason in gear, teams are evaluating players that are expected to help lead them to prominence in 2015, and no question that quarterback is the most vital piece to the puzzle.

In the NFL, you need a quarterback.

According to Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, Griffin believes that not only is he the best quarterback on his team, but he is the best quarterback in the NFL.

The above statement is not a typo. Griffin really believes that he is the most elite quarterback in the NFL and he isn’t afraid to say it.

Speaking to Alex Parker of Washington’s ABC affiliate WJLA Monday, Griffin cemented his belief that no other quarterback should compare to him.

“I don’t feel like I have to come out here and show anybody anything or why I’m better than this guy or better than that guy. It’s more about going out and affirming that for me, I go out and I play, I know I’m the best quarterback on this team. I feel like I’m the best quarterback in the league and I have to go out and show that. Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they’re not a top competitor, they’re not trying to be the best that they can be. There’s guys in this league that have done way more than me. But, I still view myself as the best because that’s what I work toward every single day.”

Griffin is right on two accounts.

One, any athlete, at any level, if they concede to someone else, they’re not a top competitor. Many players are going to give the political answer when, if asked, if so and so is better than them, they’ll say, “helluva player, love their competitive spirit.”

But they’ll never come out and admit that “this player is better than me.” Not for a long shot.

And second, they’re have been guys in the league that have done more than you Griffin.

Tom Brady, Eli and Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers just to name a few. All of those guys have a combined for 33 Pro Bowl appearances, 10 Super Bowl rings, and nine NFL MVP awards.

Griffin has made one Pro Bowl appearance, one playoff appearance, and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, beating out Indianapolis Colts quarterback for the award.

That season, Griffin passed for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while leading Washington to a 10-6 record and its first NFC East Division title since 1999.

But in Washington’s 24-14 NFC Wild Card Playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Griffin tore his reconstructed right knee he suffered in college on FedEx Field’s soggy and ransacked field.

In 2013, Griffin regressed a bit playing in just 13 games, while passing for 3,203 yards, but threw just 16 touchdowns, while tossing 12 interceptions, as Washington was watching the playoffs from the couch finishing in the basement of the division at 3-13.

Then in 2014 with the addition of former Philadelphia Eagles deep threat, wide receiver Desean Jackson, to go along with the dependable Pierre Garcon (whose 113 catches in 2013 broke Hall of Famer Art Monk’s franchise record for catches in a season), Griffin was primed for a bounce back season.

That wasn’t the case either as Griffin couldn’t stay in the lineup, missing six games due to a broken ankle he suffered in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Griffin returned to field in Week 9, but struggled for the remainder of the season finishing with just four touchdowns and six interceptions as Washington missed the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

In Griffin’s last 20 games, Washington is 5-15, a far cry from a team whose quarterback truly sees himself in the same clubhouse as the most elite quarterbacks in the league.

Griffin is still standing behind the velvet rope outside hoping to get VIP status.

I like the confidence in Griffin. Who wouldn’t. But to say that you are the best quarterback in the league when you have done squat leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Quarterbacks are judged by their record which is fair and Griffin has played inconsistently and never seem to stay on the field. For his career, Griffin is 14-22. There is still time for Griffin and Washington to improve on that mark, but it has to start with a more focused and determined Griffin.

“It’s not the game you thought it was when you were a kid and you were dreaming of playing and being a professional athlete,” Griffin said. “There’s more business that goes into it, there’s more ruthlessness, backstabbing than you would expect. But at the end of the day when you put your helmet on your shoulder pads and your pants, your cleats and you get to go out there and run around on the field, it’s still that same game that you played as a kid.”

So Griffin feels that he does not need to prove anything to anyone in the league?

In the words of Chad Johnson, “Child please.”

How can you say that to anybody while holding a straight face?

Not only do you need to prove yourself to the organization, but to the Washington fan base, the rest of the league and most importantly, to yourself. Stop saying that you’re an elite quarterback when your play recently has been mediocre, to say the least.

The NFL is arguably the most popular sport in the country, but the business side of the game can be colder than Drake dissing Meek Mill.

Heading into year four, this is a make or break season for Griffin. If he does continue to slide, Griffin could feel the “ruthlessness, backstabbing” in a form of a release from the team that traded a fortune to draft him No. 2 overall back in 2012.