Robert Griffin III signs with the Cleveland Browns
Had you told any Cleveland Browns fan at the end of the 2012 regular season that Robert Griffin III would be their quarterback in 2016, they’d have known their terrible quarterback woes were finally over.
Well, maybe.
The Browns announced Thursday that Griffin has signed a contract with the team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it’s a two-year deal.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to join the Dawg Pound and help build something here in Cleveland,” Griffin told the Browns’ website. “Coach Hue (Jackson) and Pep (Hamilton, Cleveland’s offensive coordinator), I had a great meeting with them. I really believe in what they preach and how they can help not only me as a player but this team win games and that’s what we’re all about.
“I’m just excited to come in and compete. Nothing’s ever been given to me in my life, so I just want to go out and compete with the guys and grow with this team. I feel like that’s all I’m really focused on.”
It’s an interesting pairing to say the least. Griffin was a superstar in 2012, winning offensive rookie of the year for the Washington Redskins. Then he was left in a playoff game too long, tore his ACL, rushed back for the 2013 opener and hasn’t been the same quarterback since. He didn’t play a snap all last season after he was benched for Kirk Cousins.
Browns coach Hue Jackson met with Griffin last Friday and Saturday and was obviously pleased with Griffin’s explanation for why his Redskins career didn’t ultimately work out.
“I heard the truth,” Jackson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot on Tuesday. “I mean, he takes responsibility. He knows there’s things he could have done better. And that’s where he is. To me that showed the humbleness. Because that’s what it’s all about. In this league you don’t grow if you don’t admit that you’ve made some mistakes.”
The Browns have little to lose. From Tim Couch to Johnny Manziel, their quarterback history since coming back to the NFL in 1999 has been an absolute mess. If Griffin plays anywhere close to his 2012 level he’d be the greatest quarterback in new Browns history. Even if Griffin played like he did in 2013 and 2014 — he had 4,897 yards, 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 22 games — he might be the greatest Browns quarterback since 1999. Among all Browns quarterbacks who played more than eight games since 1999, Kelly Holcomb has the best rating at 83.3. The bar can’t be any lower.
It’s not impossible for Griffin to rally. Griffin just turned 26, and now he pairs with Jackson, a coach who turned Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton into an MVP candidate before Dalton’s injury last season. Griffin was a highly touted Heisman Trophy winner and the second pick of the draft just four years ago. It’s not too hard to see him turning things around and becoming a good quarterback again.
However, it won’t be easy either. Griffin hasn’t played well in a few seasons, the Browns don’t have a ton of skill-position talent (there’s still no official word on Josh Gordon’s return) and Cleveland’s history at quarterback certainly doesn’t work in his favor.
There’s also the problem of Cleveland owning the No. 2 pick of the draft. You won’t find many mock drafts that don’t have the Browns taking a quarterback second overall, whether it’s Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. And Jackson already told Griffin, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, that the Browns might still draft a quarterback with a high pick even if they signed him.
“If it did (happen), he would have to compete and I don’t ever worry about that,” Jackson said, according to the Plain Dealer. “The cream always rises to the top, and if a guy is afraid of competition, then you have the wrong guy anyway.”
And the reality of the situation is that quarterbacks drafted No. 2 overall don’t sit for long. Another reality is that Griffin hasn’t shown enough since 2012 to make the Browns believe that he’s the franchise quarterback they need. He’s a gamble, and perhaps a smart one, but if the Browns like Goff or Wentz they wouldn’t pass on either just because they have RG3. And if Griffin can’t even start for the Browns in 2016, there doesn’t seem to be a real upside to signing with Cleveland.
The Browns desperately need a positive development at quarterback. Griffin really needs to show his career is back on track. If nothing else, it will be fascinating to see if this marriage works for both sides.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
