ASHBURN, Va. Adidas Prophere Schoenen . - Jay Gruden said the the jury is still out on the Washington Redskins quarterback position. Robert Griffin III doesnt think that way at all.The coach also said his quarterbacks need to be thick-skinned and not let outside criticism get to them. Griffin, on Tuesday, turned two football questions into answers that referenced outside criticism.Griffins physical and mental performance will be hyper-analyzed over the final seven weeks of the season. He needs to stay healthy, and he needs to show the first-year coach that he can handle all of the other rigours of playing quarterback in the NFL.On Monday, Gruden said the jury is out at quarterback because hes started three players at the position. Griffin only just returned on Sunday after missing six games with a dislocated left ankle, a layoff that disrupted his efforts to learn to be more of a pocket-passer.Gruden said he feels good about Griffins progress to date, but there are things the team will have to find out about the third-year QB before the end of the season — after which the Redskins will have to decide whether to pick up an option year on Griffins contract.On Tuesday, however, before the players broke for a five-day bye-week vacation, Griffin said he doesnt view the rest of the season as a chance to prove hes definitively the franchise quarterback.When it comes to being the franchise guy, that is what it is. I believe that I am, Griffin said. I believe that this organization knows that I am, and I know those guys in the locker room believe that I am. Theres no doubt there, so I dont ever step onto the field trying to make a claim saying Im the guy. No, its not like that. This is my team and Im going to lead it.Asked about Grudens jury is still out remark, Griffin said he understands it because he hasnt had much of a chance to play for the coach because of the ankle injury.Availability is the key, Griffin said, so my job is to continue to go out there, get better each week, help this team win football games, and the rest will take care of itself.Griffin had a mixed performance in Sundays 29-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He used his tremendous athleticism to extend plays, revived his ability as a running threat in the zone-read and led a pair of second-half scoring drives in a tight game.But he also took five sacks — more than Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy took in any of their starts — and made two bad throws at inopportune times, one a momentum-turning interception and the other a short-armed toss that ended the Redskins final legitimate scoring threat.Gruden said Griffin still needs to get a better feel for the pocket to avoid the sacks, but Griffin said theres also some good that can happen when he holds onto the ball a little longer.I feel like I add an element to the game by being able to extend plays and make plays ... Sacks are a part of the game. You dont want to take many of them, and I always will work on that, Griffin said, but Im not going to limit myself out there on the field because I think thats a detriment to our offence if I take that part of my game out.Griffin has always displayed a sensitively to criticism of his play, something Gruden has mentioned more than once and cited again Monday. The outside pundits were clearly on Griffins mind Tuesday when he was asked if it was good to get in a game before the bye week.Instead of answering the question, Griffin sought to quash the notion that he shouldve waited until after the bye to return.For us to push that off to after the bye just because of outside opinion, I think is a disservice to this team, Griffin said, because we always want to have the best opportunity to win each week.Later, asked about his decision to slide on a third-and-20 run in the fourth quarter instead of fighting for the extra yards, Griffin said he wasnt contemplating public reaction as he made his way upfield.I wasnt thinking about what anybody else was going to say, he said. I just knew I was going to get molly-whopped if I tried to go for that first down.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP Adidas Superstar Schoenen Sale . TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie both reported Thursday that there have been ongoing trade discussions between the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings over forward Sam Gagner. Adidas Ultra Boost Uitverkoop .com) - Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo were named the NHLs players of the week on Monday. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/ . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list.In an effort to restart collective bargaining talks with the CFL, the Players Association submitted a new four-year offer to the league Monday, TSN learned Monday night. The unions new offer included reductions on several financial proposals from ones made in its previous offer made last week. But the league swiftly rejected the new numbers, pushing the players closer to considering a work stoppage. In a memo obtained by TSN, the players financial proposals included a $5.2 million salary cap in 2014 ($4.8 million minimum) that grew to $6.0 million ($5.4 million minimum) after four seasons. Minimum salaries would start at $50,000 dollars in 2014, and grow to $53,000 by 2017. Last week, the players offered a $5.8 million salary cap that would grow 3% annually. But the crux of the unions financial recommendations was a "Revenue Protection Clause" created to set a threshold to renegotiate the salary cap if the CFLs aggregate revenues drastically increased. In the third year of a new deal, the players would want to renegotiate the cap if league revenues increased $12 million from the previous year. In the players newest offer, the threshold would be set at $18 million. The union also revised pension contributions ($4,000 per player and $4,000 per club), and "Compensation for Veterans for Increase in Salary Expenditure Caap" set at $8,500 for veterans and $1,500 for rookies. Adidas Human Race Nederland. And the union maintained its desire to discuss other points, including practice times and numbers of contact practices, and salary protection and medical treatment if players are injured late in season. At the beginning of the memo the Players Association describes its offer as "more favourable." Last week, the CFL offered a $5 million cap and a threshold to reopen discussions on the salary cap limit if league-wide revenues increased by $27 million from the previous year, also in the third season of a new CBA. Hours before the current CBA expired, commissioner Mark Cohon called it the leagues "final" offer. The CFL has evidently not moved from that position, and quickly rejected the players offer. "[The CFL] indicated that they see no point in meeting unless we are prepared to accept their offer," reads the Players Associations memo. "It is obvious to your Negotiating Committee that notwithstanding our effort to resolve this matter, the only possible way of convincing them that they should reconsider their position will be with a work stoppage." The Players Associations memo closes by stating players will be advised what the unions next move is once strike ballots from Calgary and Edmonton are counted. ' ' '