After quarterback Robert Griffin III signed with the Browns last month, he said he was “just appreciative” of the chance to continue his career after spending all of last year on the bench and the message was pretty much the same at a Wednesday press conference.
Griffin said that he relished the opportunity to grow with a new team and said that the experience with the Redskins didn’t rob him of his confidence. He was also asked about Mike Shanahan, his first coach in Washington, revealing that he told Griffin before he went to Cleveland that he should go to a team that uses him in a similar fashion to the way the Redskins used him on the way to a division title in 2012.
Griffin gave no hint about how much zone-read might be in Cleveland’s offense and said “I just want to play ball” in reference to how he sees himself fitting into the Browns’ scheme that head coach Hue Jackson and assistant head coach/offense Pep Hamilton are putting together.
“When it comes to that stuff, I trust that what Hue and Pep are going to do with this offense won’t just be about me and it will be what’s best suited for the team,” Griffin said. “I just look forward to growing within that and becoming the player and reaching my potential as fast as I can.”
Tailoring offenses to the personnel on hand was a strength for Jackson as the Bengals offensive coordinator and he said Wednesday that he thinks the offense will be “flexible” enough for anyone who might be at quarterback. It’s hard to believe the team would have acquired Griffin if they didn’t feel that way, although there’s a long time and a second overall draft pick to use before any decisions have to be made about who will be under center.