Robert Griffin III signs with Browns; is expected to compete to start

During the AFC coaches breakfast at the league’s annual meeting in Boca Raton this week, Hue Jackson glowingly discussed his meeting with former Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The Cleveland Browns coach admired the way Griffin handled himself while answering what Jackson described as “tough questions,” presumably about how the former 2012 offensive rookie of the year handled his recent benching and how he planned to move on.

Now, Jackson will get to see it first hand. The Browns announced on Thursday they signed Griffin, who now has a chance to compete as the starting quarterback after the Redskins released him.

“I just feel like we’ve got a lot of work to do – I know that – to not only get back to where I was personally in 2012 but to where we want to be as a team and where I want to be as a professional,” Griffin said on a conference call with reporters. “I’m ready to work. I’ve never been afraid of that. I look forward to being able to do that with my teammates coming up on April 4.”

Griffin was inactive in all but one game last season as Redskins coach Jay Gruden turned to Kirk Cousins as the starter. As Cousins continued to progress in his breakout season, it became clear that the team would be moving on from the player they traded four draft picks — including three first-rounders — for in 2012. The Redskins finally released Griffin on March 7 to avoid paying the $16.2 million fifth-year option they picked up last spring.

It was a humbling experience for Griffin, who spent the entire season as the third-string quarterback. That included practicing as the scout team quarterback to help prepare the Redskins’ defense for upcoming opponents — a stark contrast for the former Heisman trophy winner drafted to steer the a struggling franchise in the right direction. He did that in his rookie season, but struggled in 2013 after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee. In 2014, Griffin also missed six games after dislocating his ankle.

“Frankly, what I learned most was just the love that’s inside of me for this game of football,” Griffin said. “What happened down there would break a lot of people. I thank God for the people he surrounded me with to get through that time and to show me that this is what I’m supposed to do. This is my calling. I’m excited about that. When it comes to what I need to work on, I’m really excited to have another opportunity to grow with a coach that believes in me. That’s big, and I’ve just got to go out and prove it.”

Speaking during the NFC coaches breakfast, Gruden said he believed Griffin can still be a starting quarterback.

“I think a change of scenery could be good for Robert,” Gruden said. “Like anybody, sometimes you just want to get out of a situation and start new and fresh. Learn something new, I think it’d be a good fit because a lot of things Hue does, I believe are similar I don’t think it’d be a drastic change for him from a quarterback position. I think he has a little bit of a grasp on what Hue does, I think there will be a little bit of a change, I think it’ll be a good fit for him.

“It was never about Robert it was more about Kirk’s emergence, really, is what happened. It wasn’t that Robert tanked it and we just wanted to make a change. We felt that Kirk had such good OTAs in training camp we just felt that he was progressing at a faster rate which is why we made the change. So, I think that Robert can play in this league for sure, just needs another opportunity.”

Whether Griffin is the answer for the Browns, who have had 24 starting quarterback since 1999, Cleveland is in position to select another with the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft. The team cut Johnny Manziel on March 11, less than two years after drafting him No. 22 overall in 2014. On Thursday, Jackson was the only coach to attend Carson Wentz’s pro day at North Dakota State.

There’s a good chance that the Browns, a franchise starved for sustained success at the quarterback position, select a top quarterback such as Wentz in the draft, and Griffin is OK with that.

“After not playing football for a year, I’m really appreciative of the Browns stepping up and giving me an opportunity to go out and grow with their team, compete on a daily basis and lead the team,” Griffin said. “I’m really excited about that. If they draft a quarterback, take the guy under my wing. I’m considered a vet now after four years in the league and I’ve been through a lot more than a lot of guys go through in their entire career.

“I’ve got a lot of experience. I can help a young guy, but it’s not my focus. I don’t pick the players. (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Sashi (Brown) and Hue and all those guys will take care of that stuff, but if they draft a quarterback, it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m just ready to compete.”