Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

Robert Griffin III Could Start This Week

December 5th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After being cleared for contact last week, there’s a “real chance” Robert Griffin III starts at quarterback for the Browns when they face the the Bengals this weekend, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson, however, says it’s “too soon” to determine if RG3 will be under center on Sunday, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

If Griffin is able to take hold of the Browns’ starting job, there’s a great likelihood that he’ll hold the position for the remainder of the season so that Cleveland management can get a better view of him, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported last week. RG3 signed a two-year deal with the Browns over the offseason, but was injured in the club’s first game of the season and has been on injured reserve ever since.

But given that the Browns reportedly don’t view Griffin as simply a short-term investment (a sentiment with which RG3 concurs, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes), the final four games of the 2016 campaign could give the club’s brass an insight as to whether Griffin will be worth his 2017 cap charge of $9.25MM. Cleveland’s other options at quarterback include Josh McCown, who has started the Browns’ past two games, and rookie Cody Kessler, whom the club is considering shutting down following a recent concussion.

Robert Griffin III Cleared For Contact

November 29th, 2016 at 8:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns could soon turn to quarterback Robert Griffin III, as the embattled signal-caller is now fully cleared for contact, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Per Werder, Cleveland will let RG3, Josh McCown, and Cody Kessler compete for the starting quarterback job, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (video link) that once Griffin takes hold of the No. 1 job, he’s likely to hang onto it for the remainder of the season.

That the Browns are eager to see what Griffin can offer as the 2016 campaign concludes comes as no surprise, especially given that the winless club is squarely focused on the future. Griffin is signed through the 2017 season, during which he’s set to earn a base salary of $7MM, and Browns exec Sashi Brown said earlier this year (notably, before RG3 suffered a shoulder injury) that Cleveland doesn’t view Griffin as simply a short-term investment.

“To be fair to Robert, he’s young in his career in terms of his development as a quarterback,” Brown said in September. “We will develop him over time. He’s under contract here two years, but we don’t look at it as certainly just a two-year venture or a week-to-week venture. This is something we’re going to have to stick by him, put the right pieces around him and help him learn how to play that position as well. So it’s not a short-term kind of look at him.”

Griffin is still only 26 years old, and though injuries have slowed his once-promising career, the Browns likely feel that enough upside remains that it makes sense to take another look at RG3 before making their decision on his 2017 fate. Still, that probably won’t stop Cleveland from investing more resources at the quarterback position next year, and the club has already been rumored to have shown interest in UNC QB Mitch Trubisky.

Browns Notes: Greco, RG3, McCown

November 27th, 2016 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Browns right guard John Greco injured his foot during the third quarter of today’s loss to the Giants. The 31-year-old was taken to the locker room and didn’t return to the contest. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets that Greco was spotted leaving the stadium accompanied by crutches and a right boot.

If Greco is forced to miss time, it’d be another hit to an injury-riddled Browns offensive line. The team is already without guard Joel Bitonio and center Austin Reiter, while Cameron Erving has also missed time with an injury.

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of Cleveland…

The Browns want to see what they have in Robert Griffin III. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noted on NFL GameDay Morning that the organization wants to see several more starts from the signal-caller (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Of course, that all depends on whether rookie quarterback Cody Kessler is unable to return from his concussion. Griffin was placed on the injured reserve following the Browns’ season-opener, and the quarterback ended up returning to practice earlier this week.
ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi wonders if quarterback Josh McCown may have made his final start with the Browns today. The 37-year-old is now 1-10 as a starter over the past two seasons, including today’s loss to the Giants. The veteran is owed $3.625MM next season, and he’s due a $750K roster bonus in March.
If the Patriots were willing to part with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Cabot believes he’d be a great addition to the Browns. Of course, that wouldn’t necessarily prevent the organization from taking a quarterback in the draft. Cabot says the team could still target North Carolina signal-caller Mitch Trubisky regardless of whether they acquire a quarterback via trade or free agency.

Browns’ RG3 To Practice Today

November 23rd, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will get Robert Griffin III back on the practice field today. The team announced that RG3 is their player designated for return, kickstarting their three week window to place him on the active roster.

Griffin’s season ended just as it started when he suffered a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder in the season opener. After the injury, it was unclear whether he would be able to suit up again in 2016. He now looks to return to the team at a time when they are winless through eleven games and desperately seeking a W.

The quarterback will be eligible to play in Sunday’s showdown with the Giants in Cleveland. If the Browns can’t win against the G-Men, they’ll have to win against the Bengals, Bills, Chargers, or Steelers in order to avoid matching the 2008 Lions.

Griffin, a fifth-year pro, set NFL rookie records for passer rating (102.4), interception percentage (1.27), and rushing yards by a quarterback (815) en route to being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. Starting 13 games in 2013, Griffin recorded a career-high 3,203 passing yards and became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to record 3,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons. He was hoping to be reignited by a change of scenery in Cleveland, but his Week 1 injury has pushed the pause button on that pursuit.

Thanks to injuries and a bizarre final season in Washington, Griffin has appeared in just 10 games since the end of the 2013 season.

Browns Notes: Collins, RG3, Manziel

November 18th, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Browns head coach Hue Jackson believes it would a “coup” for his club to re-sign linebacker Jamie Collins, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal details, and cornerback Joe Haden agrees. “It’s just been so many years of letting really good talent walk out the door,” Haden said. “If you really want to have something, you’ve got to keep them on board. Letting him out of the door, that would just be like the same thing over and over again.”

As of early November, Cleveland had not engaged in contract talks with Collins, whom it acquired from the Patriots days before the trade deadline in exchange for what will likely turn out to be a conditional third-round pick. However, the Browns would like to extend either Collins or wide receiver Terrelle Pryor soon so that the franchise tag remains in play for the other when free agency rolls around. Collins has denied a report that indicated he wanted “Von Miller money,” but he is reportedly aiming to top fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM annual average.

Here’s more on the Browns:

Quarterback Robert Griffin III will start practicing next week, Jackson told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), today. However, RG3 has yet to be officially cleared for contact, so it’s an open question as to what level of exertion he’ll be able to demonstrate. Cleveland would be able to bring Griffin back from injured reserve if it chooses to do so, and the club has given every indication that it will do just that.
Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel settled his civil suit with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley months ago, and though no money was involved in the agreement, Manziel was issued a two-year protective order, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That turn of events likely helped to bring about yesterday’s tentative settlement between Manziel and prosecutors, a deal that should see the quarterback’s charges dismissed.
While the two settlements represent good news for Manziel, not everything is rosy for the embattled quarterback. If Manziel ends up getting signed by an NFL club, he could be facing league penalties, as NFL chief disciplinary officer Todd Jones once told Jane McManus of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Manziel would be looking at a six-game suspension.

AFC Notes: Pryor, RG3, Chiefs, Chargers

November 16th, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor is amid a breakout year at the right time. He and the Browns have already begun extension talks, but re-signing the former quarterback is going to be costly for the club. The 27-year-old Pryor could be in line for a deal similar to the one the Rams signed wideout Tavon Austin to in August ($10.55MM-plus per year with $28.5MM in guarantees), according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (Twitter link). Despite being on the NFL’s worst team, one that has shuffled through five QBs, Pryor has totaled 51 catches for 627 yards and four touchdowns. Along with Pryor’s solid production, it’ll help his earning power that he’s big (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) and fast (4.4 speed), as Corry notes.

More from Cleveland a pair of other AFC cities:

One of the signal-callers the Browns have used, Robert Griffin III, was cleared for non-contact practice Wednesday, per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com (via Twitter). Griffin didn’t participate, though, as he hasn’t yet been designated to return. RG3 has been sidelined since suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 1. The Browns put Griffin on injured reserve with the hope that they could take advantage of the new IR rules and bring him back later in the season.
When asked about a possible return to the field this week for linebacker Justin Houston, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “We’re heading in that direction” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Chiefs activated the pass-rusher extraordinaire from the PUP list last Wednesday, but he sat out their 20-17 win over the Panthers on Sunday. Houston was a full participant in practice Wednesday for the first time this year, though, which bodes well for his return from an ACL injury, notes Adam Teichner of ESPN.com.
The Chargers worked out linebackers Kevin Snyder, Ryan Langford and Reshard Cliett on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Nobody from that group has suited up for a regular-season game in the NFL.
The Chiefs tried out former Cal receiver Kenny Lawler on Tuesday, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Lawler didn’t join the Chiefs, however – he instead re-signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad Wednesday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns’ RG3 May Practice This Week

November 15th, 2016 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

As the Browns seek their first win of the season, they could be on the verge their starting quarterback returning to action. There have been discussions about Robert Griffin III possibly returning to practice this week, sources tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Griffin has been sidelined since September with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. The Browns put RG3 on injured reserve with the hope that they could take advantage of the new IR rules and bring him back later on in the season. This is obviously a lost campaign for Cleveland, but Griffin has been adamant about wanting to play again.

“We’ve got six games left this year, a chance to finish strong, and if I get a chance to be a part of that, I definitely want to,” Griffin said earlier this week.

Browns executive Sashi Brown told reporters yesterday that Griffin is on pace to return, but the decision will ultimately be left up to head coach Hue Jackson. Now at 0-10, one has to imagine that Jackson is eager to get a W and avoid matching the 2008 Lions. The Browns will face the Steelers in Cleveland on Sunday, followed by the Giants and Bengals, all at home.

Browns Notes: Jackson, Kessler, RG3

November 14th, 2016 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns may be 0-10, but head coach Hue Jackson apparently isn’t in danger of losing his job. Executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown told reporters that Jackson won’t be fired despite the team’s losing record.

“We are not focused on 0-16,” Brown said (via Tom Withers of the Associated Press). “Hue is going to be here as our head coach. We talked about continuity being one of the core premises of what we wanted accomplished going out in January. We know that we have a head coach that can be successful here and lead us to a lot of victories and a lot of winning.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of Cleveland…

For what it’s worth, Jackson never thought he was close to losing his job. “I never thought I was going anywhere,” he said. “I know that’s been part of the plan since Day 1, before I took the job. I felt very comfortable. I know there has been a lot of mudslinging going around, but I get it. That’s part of it when you have the record that we do, I expect things to be said. But we are comfortable and we know exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the decision to fire Jackson would ultimately be up to the team’s owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam. Furthermore, Florio notes that no one has said that the head coach is definitively safe if the team does finish the season without a victory.
Marla Ridenour of Ohio.com writes that Browns’ refusal to acknowledge his team’s mistakes during the draft “doesn’t bode well” for the Browns’ future. When asked if the team made a mistake dealing away the second-overall pick (or if they made a mistake selecting Cody Kessler), Brown continued to preach the team’s process, stating they were “pleased with the decision we made.”
Robert Griffin III is hoping to see the field again this season. The quarterback told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he hopes to return from his shoulder injury in 2016. “We’ve got six games left this year, a chance to finish strong, and if I get a chance to be a part of that, I definitely want to,” Griffin said. Brown told reporters that Griffin is on pace to return this season, but he notes that the decision will ultimately be up to Jackson. Griffin is eligible to be activated from the injured reserve at any time.

NFL Investigating Robert Griffin III, Browns

November 12th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Ben Levine

Another day, another NFL investigation. This time, the league is looking into the activity of Robert Griffin III prior to the Browns loss to the Ravens on Thursday. The quarterback was seen throwing passes to rookie wideout Jordan Payton. It’s probably not much of a surprise, but this violates one of the NFL’s rules regarding injured players.

As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the NFL doesn’t allow players on the injured reserve to work out on the field an hour before kickoff. Fortunately for RG3 and the Browns, it doesn’t seem like the player did anything wrong. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has photo evidence (via Twitter) that Griffin had finished his routine more than an hour before kickoff. Meanwhile, for what it’s worth, coach Hue Jackson seemed confident that the team didn’t break any rules.

“It would be if it was 60 minutes prior to the game starting,” said Jackson (via Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com). “Then he cannot be out there throwing to a player, any player at that particular point in time, from what I understand from the rules.

“From what I know, we did not break the rules. Obviously, until the investigation is complete, you don’t know. We will wait for them to have that down, but hopefully, everything will be alright as far as that is concerned.”

Ignoring the investigation, it’s actually an encouraging sign that Griffin is back to throwing (even if it was only for a brief stretch). The Browns have yet to designate which player on the IR will be eligible to return this season, and considering the team’s struggles at quarterback, Griffin doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. The 26-year-old inked a two-year, $15MM contract with Cleveland this offseason, but a shoulder surgery forced him to the sideline during the team’s first game of the season.

Robert Griffin III To Have Shoulder Scan Soon

November 10th, 2016 at 7:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III will have his shoulder scanned “in the next couple of weeks,” reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), who adds that the examination will determine if RG3 will be able to play again in 2016. Griffin hasn’t played since suffering the shoulder injury during Week 1.

Cleveland placed Griffin on injured reserve eight weeks ago, so if healthy, he technically could have played against the Ravens tonight if the Browns had opted to designate him as their player to return from IR. Clearly, however, RG3 isn’t yet ready to return, although a recent report did indicate that he won’t have to undergo surgery on his ailing left shoulder. Cleveland has a few other candidates that could return from IR — namely defensive back Jordan Poyer and linebacker Nate Orchard — so the club would have to weigh the pros and cons of bringing Griffin back.

With the Browns winless and seemingly attempting to develop rookie quarterback Cody Kessler, there may not be much incentive to have Griffin return. RG3 is signed through the 2017 campaign at an affordable rate, so if Cleveland still believes he could be a part of their future efforts, getting him low-pressure snaps at the end of the year could be viable.