Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and Journalism: While We’re Waiting…
March 21, 2016Michael Brantley impresses in Cactus League debut with Indians
March 21, 2016Following free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III’s visit with the Cleveland Browns over the weekend, head coach Hue Jackson raved about the former Rookie of the Year gunslinger. Per cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Jackson was excited about the possibility of having the versatile RG3 as his quarterback in Cleveland at the NFL Annual meeting.
“It was a great meeting. I think he’s obviously a tremendous talent and a great young man. He had a lot of success early in Washington and then things just didn’t work out. Those things happen in the National Football League.”
By “didn’t work out”, the head coach meant that injuries plaqued the quarterback. Griffin was never able to fully recover from multiple injuries sustained in Washington (and previously at Baylor) before Kirk Cousins won the starting job in 2015, and the former No. 2 pick didn’t play a single snap.
Griffin has plenty to prove, but he is a quarterback with incredible talent both with his legs and his arm, talent that Jackson knows could help a team like the Browns if he has fully recovered from his knee injury.
“We are going through our process. We’re going to be very diligent in what we are doing — trying to make sure that we put the right quarterbacks on our football team and in that quarterback room. And that’s one of my biggest responsibilities and also one of our organization’s biggest responsibilities.”
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the meeting over the weekend went so well that the Browns are now making calls and gathering more information about Griffin, specifically dealing with his character on and off the field. Cabot says the team Is “moving forward” with Griffin, and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King piled on by calling Cleveland the “leader in the clubhouse.”
Cleveland’s the leader in the clubhouse. https://t.co/exfxunKWO1
— Peter King (@peter_king) March 21, 2016
For what it’s worth, our friends over at Busted Coverage floated out this rumor a few weeks back, much to the chagrin of Twitter’s wannabe GMs.
Talked to a bartender Friday night in Cleveland. Not so quiet rumor is RG3 to Browns to hold job until Wentz is ready.
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) March 7, 2016
Whether the Browns sign Griffin or not remains the question, but at least Jackson and company are looking into the possibility of bringing such a talented quarterback to the team pre-injuries. If Griffin could somehow return to somewhat of the quarterback that he used to be, he would most likely be the most talented quarterback to don a Browns jersey since their return to Cleveland in 1999.
24 Comments
Bartender > Homeless dude?
Sources. 😉
http://data.whicdn.com/images/36186792/large.gif
RG3 opens Twitter: @MaryKayCabot followed you
To say that injuries were all that “plagued” him in WAS is a sever understatement of that situation and his baggage.
Going into this offseason, I was buoyed by my faith in Hue Jackson’s offensive mind and eye for quarterbacks. After the mass defection on Day 1 of free agency and the front office’s obvious decision to throw away the 2016 season, that’s about all I have left. With any previous Browns’ regime, I would have written off an RGIII signing as a failure even before it began. A team that has tried 24 QB’s in the last 16 years signing an scrambling, oft-injured, non-pocket passing QB to start behind an offensive line that lost two of its best starters from the season before? As the saying goes, what could possibly go wrong?
But given that 2016 will be a waste no matter who lines up behind center, why not give Griffin a chance? At least it will give us fans something to watch. Much like the upside of Terrell Pryor learning to play WR was more compelling than Dwayne Bowe’s season-long NFL farewell tour , RG3 attempting to resurrect his career with Hue Jackson’s help will be a lot more intriguing than Josh McCown’s 2-17 record as a starter the last 2 seasons. I still doubt it will work, and I fully anticipate Griffin to be a crossed-out name on the Lakeside Ave. jersey come this time next year. But as a stand-in for Goff/Wentz, the Browns could do a lot worse than a still-young RG3. At least it will keep me watching on Sunday afternoons this fall.
A QB with any talent related to quarterbacking would help this particular team, but I think your description is a little breathless for the circumstances. If injuries were the only problem there would be no reason for Washington not to attempt to retain him, especially given that org’s sunk cost to obtain him.
It’s not certain that he will ever regain the extra scrambling gear that set him apart. Not clear he will start being a leader and stop blaming teammates for on-field failures. Most important to his future NFL success now that defenses know what he can and can’t do, it’s uncertain whether he is open to learning how to read a defense. If they bring him in to see if he’s redeemable, fine, as long as he knows the deal and doesn’t go all Seneca Wallace/Trent Dilfer on the newbie they draft. Griffin has always known how to win the interview, but him coming here shouldn’t justify automatic excitement. Teams have no reason to let promising QBs just walk.
Call me naive, but what exactly is all of this “extra baggage” people are talking about? It seems like everyone loved him while he was successful, then threw him to the curb post injuries when he couldn’t perform. He seems like s a smart, mature kid who has shown the talent and has produced on field previously. I’m sure he’s learned a few things and grown from his experiences w/the Redskins. He seems like a player with a lot to prove and, if healthy, the potential talent to back it up. Seems like an absolute no-brainer to me. Of course, given the Browns’ track record & lack of surrounding talent, I’m not sure any quarterback could succeed next year.
Mature?
Mature as in he did well in school, married young & has a kid. I’ve seen some vaguely questionable comments, but nothing THAT bad. But that’s why I posed the question…
The guy must have been humbled after last year. If healthy he’s got talent, and now he needs to perform to save his career. Talent & motivation, but we are going to nitpick stupid “controversies.”
From what I understood there is no need to put the word controversies in quotations. Teams don’t just let talent like that walk out the door for no reason. Problems with coaches, teammates and the FO. Showed little to no leadership/responsibility, was more concerned with his brand than his team & shied away from competition. The second part of your comment is certainly hopeful and sounds nice but is proven baseless by numerous professional athletes every year. I’m all for acquiring talent and in no way feel we need a bunch of choir boys. But to say his past can be brushed off is naive, as you said. With all of that being said, I think this report has more to do with the Kap situation than people are talking about.
Sure… But how big are his hands??
McCown won 2 games the last 2 years? I hadn’t thought it was that many. Good for him.
(and agree completely – don’t think it’ll work, but just looking for reasons to remain interested at this point)
outside the “baggage” issues, there are other areas of concern:
– rookie year was running college offense before NFL teams adjusted to it (Shanahan shocked system by running it).
– elite athleticism likely gone (still good maybe but two ACL injuries on same knee are worrisome)
– was not good at finding open receivers on move (unlike Kaep, Manziel, other QBs of his ilk, he always was looking to run with eyes down. hurt him on multiple occasions – literal and figurative)
LMAO !!
I’m just going to keep harping on this (because I can), but I knew RG3 when he was 8, and let’s just say I was not impressed back then. Nothing I saw said “NFL franchise QB.” So, pass.
In all seriousness, I don’t know what I think. Yes? Why not? I think I’d still rather have Kaepernick, but whatever – as long as it means NOT drafting a QB in the 1st round this year. In my mind, signing either RG3 or Kaep as a place-holder for Wentz/Goff just doesn’t make sense when we have Captain Placeholder (by all reports a great and willing mentor) already on the roster. You either do this because you think RG3 is “the man,” or you don’t do it at all.
Agreed.
Hundred. Or, as the kids are NOW saying, Hundy.
And wouldn’t it be so Browns if RGIII were not only serviceable but pretty good? What would make that so very Browns is if they drafted Goff or Wentz, who would turn into a wasted pick.
Not saying I wouldn’t take a good QB in RGIII just that I’d rather have another player than a QB in the draft this year.
Did someone say “Trade Joe Thomas”?
Wait, how would it be so Browns to have a good QB while developing a younger high first round pedigree QB in a low-pressure setup behind the scenes?
Sinking feeling……….
I mean every Tom Brady needs his Drew Bledsoe.
Makes me wonder what Jay Gruden told Hue??? Jay clearly was not going to let RG3 determine his coaching career in Washington. This looks like it will be a incentive type deal if it happens. RG3 can sling a ball. Injures aside, I think he is a better bet than Kaeperpick.
Just playing some devil’s advocate here, but back when he was making his playoff run, there was plenty of tape pundits showing his ability to read first and target on the run with his eyes downfield. Granted, after the ACL return, there is plenty of tape showing his complete inability to play the QB position.
He is just simply not the same player since coming back from the ACL. No one can possibly answer whether he can turn it around or not. And one more juxtaposition for good measure, there were plenty of folks who wanted to give away three first rounders for this guy, and mostly an equal number that correctly predicted he would blow a knee playing the style of football that ultimately, Kyle Shanny schemed for him.
The only thing the Browns have to lose signing this guy is money and a roster spot. He can have any one of the three spots we have now as far as I am concerned. Losing any of those guys would be a non-event. If he wants big guaranteed money, then he needs to find another huckleberry.
Any first round QB is a coach killer. When you give away the farm and then pick him, he most assuredly is. Signing an FA to make the team, maybe betting some modest signing bonus money pro-rated over 3 years with a base salary guarantee, not a coach killer with 10-11 picks coming in the draft. There are a couple of really talented guys that will be available in 3-4 round with Browns picking high.
1. They do not have to bet the farm with the number 2 pick
2. They are going to really, really suck in 16 so they may have a shot in 17.
I’m not saying I like that, but that has got to be a line of thought in Berea.