NFL Rumors: Cleveland Browns Committing To Robert Griffin III As Starting QB

The Cleveland Browns are heading into the 2016 NFL season with a lot of rumors and question marks surrounding their franchise. Perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding them is what the quarterback position will end up looking like when the regular season kicks off.

Robert Griffin III was signed this past offseason, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com originally reported.

That signing was exactly what the Browns needed to spark intrigue in their offense again. After the failed Johnny Manziel experiment, Cleveland couldn’t afford to not take the risk on Griffin. Josh McCown won’t get the job done, and there were not many other options for the Browns to go with.

According to a report from Tony Grossi on PFT Live, the Browns are committing to Griffin as their starting quarterback. Cleveland doesn’t view the quarterback situation as an open competition. Griffin has Hue Jackson’s vote of confidence at this point in time, and that will not change barring a surprise.

Throughout his 37 career games with the Washington Redskins, Griffin showed flashes of brilliance. He completed 63.9 percent of his pass attempts for 8,097 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. Griffin also picked up 1,480 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

Looking ahead at the 2016 season, the Browns’ offense is going to be entertaining to watch. Whether that will be a good kind of entertaining or not is another question.

Josh Gordon has been reinstated by the NFL, but he will miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension that Roger Goodell rightfully handed down. Corey Coleman was the Browns’ No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and has legitimate star potential for the future.

At 26-years-old, Griffin still has plenty of time to turn his career around. Perhaps this opportunity with the Browns will be exactly what he needs to prove that he can be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback. Staying healthy will be the biggest key for him, and if he can do that, the sky is the limit.

Last season, in eight regular season games, McCown showed some starting potential as well. He completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. McCown could compete with Griffin for playing time throughout the season if the former No. 2 overall pick gets off to a slow start as the starter.

Cleveland has done their best to help take pressure off of the quarterback position with their receivers and running backs. Duke Johnson Jr. and Isaiah Crowell will once again form a dual-back system. Both running backs bring something different to the field and will help Griffin out in a big way.

Obviously, there are still major concerns because of the way that Griffin’s career went with the Redskins. That being said, he has a much better coach than Jay Gruden was, and Jackson isn’t the type of guy to stir the pot with his quarterback and force division within the franchise like Gruden did.

Griffin may not end up being a franchise caliber starter for the Browns, but putting full confidence behind him and trying to instill confidence in him is a must.

If Griffin does get back to his full potential and show the playmaking talent that many saw in him during his college career and his first season in the NFL, Cleveland’s quarterback issues could be fixed. Griffin is grateful for this opportunity and has been working hard to prove the Browns right for picking him up.

Expect to see Griffin come out firing on all cylinders looking to help make the Browns a playoff contender again. It may or may not work between the Browns and Griffin, but it is well worth the shot.

Do you think Robert Griffin III can turn his career around with the Cleveland Browns? Will the Browns become a playoff team with Griffin under center? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Photo by David Dermer/AP Images]