Robert Griffin III is almost certainly going to get his shot at NFL redemption this season with the Cleveland Browns as the leader of the offense in Week 1.
Mary Kay Cabot of CSN Mid-Atlantic is reporting the Browns are “all in” on Griffin this year and want him to start.
“I think the odds are very, very high,” said Cabot. “They want him to be the starting quarterback on day one. They’re not going to have a short leash on him at all.
Of course, this isn’t a shocking revelation that they want him to start. After all, the other three options on the depth chart aren’t exactly sexy.
If RG3 can’t cut the mustard, then you’re looking at either long-time mediocre veteran Josh McCown, a scrub in Austin Davis or rookie Cody Kessler, who will likely suffer from Alex Smith syndrome his entire career as a weak-armed passer who doesn’t scare NFL defenses.
This is what the #Browns will be working with if #RG3 doesn't pan out this year. pic.twitter.com/OD79Dhpecc
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) July 2, 2016
With this in mind, it’s no wonder head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton are doing everything they can to get Griffin back to his rookie form.
“[Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton] are trying to do everything they possibly can to coax that 2012 type of season out of him again,” Cabot reported. “They see those flashes of greatness, they love the skill set, the mobility, and all those kinds of things. They think they can coach him up into the kind of player who can not only scramble around and get out of the pocket and make crazy things happen like that, but also to stay within the pocket, read the defense, go through the progression.”
Unfortunately, to this point it has been reported that Griffin hasn’t exactly shined during offseason workouts. In fact, based on practices that have been made available to beat writers, he’s been downright mediocre (more on that here).
At the heart of the matter lies two questions that have yet to be answered.
The first question is this: Will Robert Griffin III ever be able to stand in the pocket and read defenses? He came out of a gimmick system at Baylor that is as far from a pro-style offense as you can imagine. Lots of short passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. No need to read defenses. Lots of misdirection and trickery.
After his breakout rookie campaign, Griffin showed his ineffectiveness at being a pocket quarterback. He was overwhelmed by NFL pass rushes and started to get rattled easily.
The second question is this: Did RG3’s time in Washington ruin him? After being dubbed the chosen one, it’s no secret he was thrown to the curb and left for dead when Jay Gruden took over. Does he have the mental fortitude to move past that humiliating experience to become the player many thought he was when he was drafted?
If Griffin can answer both of those questions in a positive way, then he has a shot at being an excellent quarterback for the Browns. If not, then he just might be finished before he ever really got started.