A New Hue, RG3, And The Curious Case of Josh Gordon

The prospect of Hue Jackson, Robert Griffin III, and Josh Gordon resurrecting the Cleveland Browns to a winning season is to quote Churchill, “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

Rewind the clock to 2014, where hope in “Brown Town” was hanging on by a thread. CEO Jimmy Haslam gave a faction of the fans what they wanted by using the 22nd overall pick on (cue disappointment) Johnny Manziel. The rest is history, and so is he. Johnny “Football” was not the “King” James-type savior Cleveland fans were hoping for. Manziel was more of a false prophet and the Browns were the same ole Browns. Lest we forget this is the team that took a two-year hiatus between 1996 and 1998. Since the NFL welcomed them back, they’ve strung together two winning seasons and one playoff loss over the course of 17 years. Last year’s dreadful campaign was laced with Manzielian controversy and a paltry 3-13 record. 2016 was shaping up to be another scrappy season for the Dawg Pound. That was until the Browns organization decided the team and the fans deserved better.

During this offseason, the Browns acquired what they hope will be the cornerstone they can build a winning foundation on, and that man goes by the reputable name of coach Hue Jackson. Adding to that, the Browns went out and signed the very marketable quarterback worthy of a second chance in Robert Griffin III – two major pieces towards fixing the jigsaw puzzle that is the Cleveland Browns. Three trending questions still remain heading into the 2016 NFL season.

1. If RG3 Is The Starting QB For The Browns, Will The 2016 Season Be Another Let Down For The Team And The Fans?

If the past is any indicator of the future, as it pertains to Hue Jackson (not the Browns organization), the answer would be no. If RG3 becomes Cleveland’s signal-caller, he inherits a coach who helped Joe Flacco break the record of multiple playoff games won by a rookie quarterback. He inherits a coach who fixed Andy Dalton and turned the Bengals into an offensive powerhouse. If RG3 is the starting QB and fails, the onus will most likely fall on his shoulders — no pressure — or as he charmingly puts it in this gem from the Browns Twitter feed.

Added pressure of being a #Browns QB?
@RGIII: “No pressure, no diamonds.”

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 6, 2016

As for RG3’s role in this, many quarterbacks might have caused a fuss after losing their starting job as he did in Washington, but the GQ cover boy proved he truly is a gentleman. He handled the situation in Washington like a professional. So at the very least, the Browns signed more of a problem-solver than a problem.

2. What Happens If The Browns Use Their Second Overall Pick On A Quarterback?

If the Browns select a quarterback with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the spotlight on Cleveland intensifies dramatically. All eyes will be on Hue Jackson, the ever-popular RG3 and whoever the choice at quarterback becomes. The consensus top two draft choices are Jarett Goff from CAL and Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. Goff and Wentz were showcased last Saturday on ABC’s Gruden’s QB Camp. Gruden called Wentz the “underdog,” but his size, mobility, and intelligence are skills that should transfer well to the NFL. That stated, the general consensus has Goff as the number one draftee and many ranking him as the number one overall pick.

Goff isn’t shying away from the expectations, telling the camera during Gruden’s QB Camp, “I think I can be a guy that you can build a franchise around … A guy that can come in on day one and make an impact.”

Enter: Josh “Flash” Gordon

The “X” factor in this tale is currently NFL-banned Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh “Flash” Gordon (seen above dunking the football to the awe/disgust of state rival Cincinnati Bengals fans). Josh Gordon is the missing character who makes this story about the Browns 2016 NFL season ready for Hollywood. They say every movie needs a love story (or b-story, as they call it in the biz), and in this case, the “b” in b-story might also stand for Baylor as in Baylor College, where Josh Gordon and RG3 were teammates during the 2010 season. That year they hooked up for 42 passes, 714 yards, and seven touchdowns. Since then, Gordon has had many dark nights of the soul as he’s struggled with drug issues. Beyond a budding bromance, redemption for the banned NFL-er could be on the horizon.

3. If Reinstated, Will “Flash” Gordon And RG3 Become The Story Of The 2016 NFL Season?

A lot of things have to go right for this script to have a happy ending. Mainly, Josh Gordon has to prove to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that he’s clean and going to stay clean for his reputation and the leagues. Gordon officially applied for reinstatement on January 20. The league said it would work towards rendering a decision within 60 days, but they are not legally obligated to do so.

Goodell had this to say to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

“When I get more information (from the staff) we can decide what the next appropriate step is, whether it’s me meeting with him or whether they’ve already met with him individually or whether others have met with him.”

For now, the six-foot-three, 225-pound, 24-year-old game-changing receiver can only dream about catching passes from his former Baylor Bears teammate. From the same Cabot story, the smooth-talking RG3 had this to say about Josh Gordon and the possibility of them reuniting on the Browns.

“Josh is family… I love the guy. I don’t know what’s going to happen with him in the league or with the team, but he always knows that he has a brother in me… If the opportunity comes that he can get reinstated and play for the Browns, then I won’t be upset with that – let’s just put it that way.”

There is a Hollywood script brewing in Brown Town – a place where hope is in short supply – and the league will be hard-pressed not to combine these two high-flying talents under a coach who doesn’t suffer fools like Hue Jackson. Still, some might be tempering their expectations, since this franchise is arguably more synonymous with dragging its fans through the mud than winning. After all, they drafted Manziel to help them towel off – instead, he threw in the towel. In staying with the theme of redemption, everyone hopes Johnny can become a starting NFL QB again, but for now, Hue Jackson is focused on finding the man that will lead his offence — that and getting his new team ready for what’s shaking up to be one of the most exciting seasons in the history of the Cleveland Browns.

Final Note: Legendary running back Jim Brown had more rushing yards (1,863) in 14 games during the 1963 season for the Browns than the teams last three starting RBs from the previous three 16 game seasons combined. The Browns will need all the help they can get in the passing game in order to have a chance at making the postseason in 2016.

[Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images]