The Browns signed quarterback Robert Griffin III this offseason and vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said Saturday that the move was made with the intent “that he could play for a long time for us.”
For that to happen, Griffin is going to have to reverse the trajectory that his career has been on for the last couple of years and prove that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL, something that hasn’t happened yet. Coach Hue Jackson said it’s “too soon” for the team to think about who will run the offense in September and that he doesn’t have a timeline for picking a starter between Griffin, Josh McCown, Austin Davis, Connor Shaw and rookie Cody Kessler.
“I know everybody wants us to anoint a guy,” Jackson said, via Cleveland.com. “That’s not going to happen right this second. I don’t think I’ve had enough time and they haven’t had enough time in this system that we run to feel very comfortable yet. Let’s go through OTAs. Let’s get into training camp and let’s see where we are when the real bullets start flying, when guys are going after you trying to take you down. That’s when we’ll have a better idea about our football team in general.”
Brown said the hope is that Griffin can “solidify himself” and “begin working on a longer-term deal” if things unfold well, which suggests that plenty of people would be happy if he’s Jackson’s ultimate choice. For now, though, the job is up for grabs.