Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

Browns’ Sashi Brown On RGIII, Draft

April 21st, 2016 at 9:53am CST by Zachary Links

Minutes ago, Browns executive Sashi Brown addressed reporters and covered a wide range of topics, including the team’s quarterback position. Here are the highlights:

Many have assumed that Robert Griffin III is the Browns‘ de facto starting quarterback, but exec Sashi Brown says that’s not the case, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. “Robert is not even our starting quarterback. He’s got to earn the spot,” Brown said. If RGIII does not have the job locked up, that means the door could be open for Connor Shaw, Austin Davis, and Josh McCown.
There has been speculation that the Browns could trade down again, but Brown said that the team “really” likes the No. 8 spot, as Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald tweets. Brown mentioned the possibility of taking a defensive end, cornerback, or linebacker but did not mention wide receiver.
Moving back up from No. 8 is “possible” but “not likely,” says Brown (Twitter link via Albert Breer of NFL.com).
Brown says that he was “tempted to stay on the clock” at No. 2 but the team could not pass up the extra picks (Twitter link via Cabot).
Some believe that the Browns only wanted Jared Goff at No. 2, but Brown says that’s not the case (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal). Brown seems to imply that the team would have been comfortable taking Carson Wentz at No. 2, but there’s no way for us to know if that’s really the case.
The Browns did not consider a move up to No. 1, per Brown (Twitter link via Cabot).
While the team sees good quarterbacks in the second tier of this year’s class, Brown believes it is hard to find a franchise QB anywhere (Twitter link via Ulrich).
Brown would like to have some young talent at wide receiver (Twitter link via Ulrich). The team talked to some free agent WRs, but they did not wind up signing them.

Browns Did Not Promise Starting Job To RG3

March 27th, 2016 at 7:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns haven’t promised Robert Griffin III anything in terms of a starting job, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (video link). Although his two-year, $15MM deal certainly suggests that Griffin will be given a chance to win the starting role, Cleveland will continue with its draft preparations as if it hadn’t brought in an external option at quarterback.

As such, Breer reports that there’s a “good chance” that the Browns use the second overall pick on a quarterback, likely Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Jared Goff of California. Griffin has said that it would not bother him if Cleveland selects a signal-caller at No. 2, and a Browns contingent — Hue Jackson, Pep Hamilton, and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry — was on hand to watch Wentz’s recent pro day.

The term “analytics” has been tossed around quite a bit since the Browns promoted Sashi Brown and hired Paul DePodesta, but one “Moneyball”-esque approach might be collecting quarterbacks and letting them compete. Instead of drafting Wentz or Goff at No. 2 and pinning the franchise’s hopes on one young player, Cleveland will “take as many shots as they possibly can” at quarterback, per Breer, hoping that its odds of finding a successful QB will improve as more options are added. It’s a method akin to that of Bill Belichick and the Patriots, who constantly trade down in the draft to acquire more capital with the idea that more bites at the apple leads to better odds of a hit.

Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Richardson, RG3, Beachum, Cowboys

March 25th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Trent Richardson expects to sign with the Ravens before the start of their voluntary conditioning program on April 18, he told Matt Zenitz of AL.com as part of a highly interesting, recommended piece. Richardson looked on the verge of signing with the team in late February, which obviously didn’t happen, but head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week that he thinks a deal will get done. The delay is thanks in part to Richardson’s conditioning.

When he visited the Ravens in February, Richardson didn’t expect to work out with the team. The Ravens had other ideas, though, and after eating heavily both the night before and the morning of the meeting, Richardson weighed in at 238 pounds. General manager Ozzie Newsome told Richardson that “we really want you here,” but with the caveat that the four-year veteran would first have to get his weight down to 225 pounds. Richardson is now at 218, his lightest weight since high school, and is hoping to play more like the Alabama back who went third in the 2012 draft than the disappointing pro version who couldn’t even crack anyone’s roster last season.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Browns’ Robert Griffin III will head to Los Angeles to conduct offseason workouts with quarterback guru Tom House, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. House, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher who’s close with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, has worked with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, A.J. McCarron, Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in the past. He spent a large portion of last offseason with Dalton, who went on to have a career year.
Recently signed Jaguars offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, told Tom Pelissero of SiriusXM NFL that he will put on a knee brace next week and begin football movements. “I’ll be starting Week 1,” Beachum added (Twitter link). In order to do that, Beachum will have to beat out incumbent No. 1 left tackle Luke Joeckel.
The Cowboys are the latest of seven teams that have ventured to UCLA to work out offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter). Benenoch is regarded as a potential top-75 draft choice.
Saints head coach Sean Payton isn’t a fan of today’s football helmets, saying, “[W]e’re way behind where should be right now with what we’re putting on the players.” However, he expects the safety of helmets to improve at “warp speed” over the next couple years, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “If you took the analogy of an automobile in the ’60s and ’70s and how much of the impact passengers received in a collision and fast-forward to where we are now … I think the same thing is happening and needs to happen with the helmet that we’re wearing,” Payton stated.

RGIII Leftovers: Jets, Broncos, Draft, McCown

March 25th, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

With Robert Griffin III now a member of the Browns, the Jets have lost one of their backup plans at quarterback, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. According to Mehta, RGIII would have been an “acceptable fallback choice with upside” for the Jets, who continue to prioritize Ryan Fitzpatrick. With their alternatives dwindling, the Jets should increase their offer to Fitzpatrick and get something done, in Mehta’s view.

Here are a few more reactions to Griffin’s new deal in Cleveland:

Having lost Brock Osweiler to Houston, Broncos GM John Elway briefly considered RGIII as an option in Denver, but after making some phone calls, Elway had concerns about the signal-caller’s character, says Mike Klis of 9NEWS. According to Klis, the team never reached out to Griffin’s camp to express interest.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports suggests the Browns were the only team with legit interest in RGIII, noting that teams in need of a backup like the Cowboys and Chiefs never engaged.
In a slideshow at Cleveland.com, Mary Kay Cabot breaks down five things the Griffin signing means for the Browns, suggesting that the team will likely still draft a quarterback early, and that Josh McCown figures to be a goner.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com echoes the idea that the Browns should still select a quarterback early in the draft, writing that signing Griffin is just the start of the team’s QB search — not the end of it.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the contract signed by the former second overall pick, explaining that the deal suggests the Browns gave him the best chance to start. As Fitzgerald points out, if Griffin thought he could get a starting job somewhere, it might have made more sense to take a one-year, prove-it deal to try to land a bigger contract a year from now — instead, he locked himself into a two-year pact that will be team-friendly if he ends up starting and playing well.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson was extremely impressed with what he saw from Griffin when the QB worked out for the team last week, as Jeff Darlington of NFL.com details. Given Jackson’s reputation for understanding quarterbacks “as well as anyone,” his endorsement helped convince the team to get a deal done.

Contract Details: RGIII, McLendon, Morris

March 24th, 2016 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some specific details on contracts that have been agreed upon or signed within the last several days:

Robert Griffin III, QB (Browns): Two years, $15MM. $6.75MM guaranteed. $3.5MM signing bonus. $750K annually in per-game roster bonuses. Base salaries of $3.5MM (guaranteed) and $6MM. $750K roster bonus on third day of 2017 league year. Up to $3.5MM in annual incentives based on playing time, yards, and passer rating (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Steve McLendon, DT (Jets): Three years, $10.5MM. $4MM guaranteed. $2.25MM signing bonus. $250K option bonus after 2017 season. $250K annually in per-game roster bonuses in 2017 and 2018. $750K escalator (Links via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and Wilson).
Alfred Morris, RB (Cowboys): Two years, $3.5MM. $1.8MM fully guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. Can be worth up to $5.5MM with incentives/escalator. $500K in per-game roster bonuses in 2017. $1MM rushing-yard escalator for 2017. Threshold for incentives begins at 1,000 yards (Twitter links via Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Pelissero, and Wilson).
Daryl Smith, LB (Buccaneers): One year, $2.5MM. $2MM guaranteed. $650K signing bonus. $500K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
Taylor Mays, S (Bengals): One year, $840K. $25K signing bonus. $35K October 10th 53-man roster bonus (following suspension). $40K playing-time incentive (Twitter link via Wilson).

Browns Sign Robert Griffin III

March 24th, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

12:40pm: The Browns’ investment in RGIII is not insignificant. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the two-year pact is worth $15MM, with a signing bonus of $3.5MM and $6.75MM in total guarantees.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links), Griffin can earn up to $750K in per-game active roster bonuses, and has a $750K roster bonus due on the third day of the 2017 league year. He can also make an extra $3.5MM in annual incentives based on playing time, yards, and passer rating, so the deal could max out at $22MM.

11:45am: The Browns have officially signed Griffin, the team confirmed in a press release. According to Schefter (Twitter link), it’s a two-year contract.

11:38am: Griffin and the Browns have agreed to a deal, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).

11:31am: The Browns are expected to reach an agreement with free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While nothing is official yet, Schefter reports that RGIII will become a Brown.

The move could have a domino effect on other quarterback situations around the NFL. Cleveland had been viewed as a potential landing spot for trade candidate Colin Kaepernick, but signing Griffin will take the Kaepernick option off the table for the Browns. As for RGIII, he had been viewed as a potential fallback plan for the Jets, so Ryan Fitzpatrick may get a little added leverage in his contract negotiations with New York now that the team’s alternatives have been reduced by one.

Still, as Schefter notes (via Twitter), the Browns’ deal with Griffin could result in another veteran signal-caller becoming available. With Cleveland still likely to select a quarterback in the draft, last year’s primary starter, Josh McCown, could land on the trade block.

Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.

Griffin threw for 3,200 yards as a rookie, rushing for another 815, and totaled 27 touchdowns, including 20 through the air. In 2013, however, Griffin’s completion percentage dropped five points and Washington went 3-10 in games that the former Heisman Trophy winner started.

Injuries knocked Griffin out of the starting lineup in 2014 and ’15, the latter coming in the preseason, when Washington opted to shelve the former No. 2 overall pick and begin its exit strategy from its one-time franchise quarterback. The team released him earlier this month.

After Griffin reached free agency, he visited both the Jets and Browns, but the interest from Cleveland was always viewed as more serious — Jets GM Mike Maccagnan described RGIII’s visit to New York as a “meet-and-greet” situation.

With the Browns believed to be eyeing a quarterback like Carson Wentz or Jared Goff in the draft, the team could pair a first-round rookie with the 26-year-old Griffin this season, giving the franchise a pair of signal-callers with some youth and upside. Although Cleveland’s failure to develop quarterbacks in the past has been well-documented, there is perhaps some reason for optimism this time around, since new head coach Hue Jackson is widely considered to be a strong QBs coach.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: RGIII, Browns, Rams, Falcons

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Will Robert Griffin III ultimately sign with the Browns after visiting Cleveland last week? According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the prevailing feeling at the owners’ meetings in Boca Raton is that the Browns will indeed be able to get something done with RGIII. There’s no agreement in place yet, but Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that there’s a possibility of a deal by the end of the week.

As we wait to see if the two sides can strike a deal, let’s round up a few other items related to free agency, including another one on Griffin…

Asked about the possibility of pursuing RGIII, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that it’s something his team may have to consider (video link via TheRams.com). However, it didn’t sound like there was much urgency on that front for Fisher and the Rams, who have plenty of confidence in Case Keenum as their starter.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed this morning that his club remains in negotiations with free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler, who may end up returning, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Asked today about the possibility of bringing back defensive end Greg Hardy, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said that Dallas is “focused on some other guys right now,” per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Although there hasn’t been much movement on the Chad Greenway front so far, the veteran linebacker remains confident that he’ll be able to work out a new deal with the Vikings, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. While Greenway’s first choice is to remain in Minnesota, he did acknowledge that he has received some inquiries from other teams, but he’s not in a rush to make a decision.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said he was “shocked” that both Chris Johnson and Jermaine Gresham accepted less money to re-sign in Arizona, adding that there was no special sales pitch for either player (Twitter links via Peter Schrager of FOX Sports).

Broncos Rumors: Daniels, RG3, QB, Norwood

March 22nd, 2016 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak addressed reporters on Tuesday morning at the NFL owners’ meetings and we have the highlights from his scrum right here, courtesy of Troy Renck of The Denver Post:

Kubiak said that he has big plans for tight end Jeff Heuerman and he sees him as a complete tight end, Renck tweets. Of more import to us at PFR, Kubiak says that he hasn’t ruled out bringing Owen Daniels back. Daniels had two years left on his contract but was released by Denver earlier this month. The veteran tight end, who will turn 34 in November, caught 46 balls for 517 yards and three touchdowns during his lone season in Denver.
Kubiak said the team is in “no hurry” to add quarterback. “We talk about it everyday. The important thing is to get it right and not rush it,” the coach said (link via Renck).
Robert Griffin III is on the “list” of quarterbacks being considered by the team, though they are looking at plenty of options (link). A report on Monday indicated that RG3 could be Cleveland-bound this week.
Kubiak said that he talked to Jordan Norwood on Monday and he says it’s a sign of how much the team wants the wide receiver back in the fold (link).
The coach wants a fullback on the roster again and the team is looking at options in the draft, Renck tweets. The Broncos wanted to have a fullback in 2015, but that didn’t pan out due to James Casey‘s knee issues.

Latest On Browns, Robert Griffin III

March 21st, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Zachary Links

There is “mounting buzz” about the Browns’ intent to sign Robert Griffin III, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. La Canfora adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if the two sides reached agreement on a deal this week. Griffin visited the Browns just days ago and the visit reportedly went well.

If the Browns sign RG3, they will receive outside interest in quarterback Josh McCown, per LaCanfora (Twitter links). La Canfora asserts that the Broncos, Rams, and Jets could all explore a deal for the veteran quarterback. In addition, he says that an RGIII signing would not preclude Cleveland from going after a QB in the draft.

McCown was placed on IR in December, but finished the year with fairly respectable numbers. Although the Browns only won one of his eight starts, he completed 63.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s now entering the second season of the three-year deal he signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2015.

Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.

Griffin looked like a superstar in the making as a rookie, but his completion percentage dropped in 2013 and Washington went 3-10 in games that the former Heisman Trophy winner started.

Injuries knocked Griffin out of the starting lineup in 2014 and ’15, the latter coming in the preseason, when Washington opted to shelve Griffin and begin its exit strategy from its one-time franchise quarterback. The team released him earlier this month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick

March 21st, 2016 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

As we approach the final week of March, just one top-20 player from our list of this year’s top 50 free agents remains unsigned. There continues to be mutual interest between quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets in a reunion, but there’s also still a significant gap between what the player is demanding and what the team is offering.

On Monday, Jets owner Woody Johnson spoke about the ongoing talks with the 33-year-old and passed along the message that he hopes Fitzpatrick will “come back to the Jets.”

“I kind of hope so because he had such a good year last year,” Johnson said of Fitzpatrick, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I mean, it seems like an ideal [situation]. I like him a lot as a person. He’s very engaging. He’s great with kids, great with our fans, great with our players. They really respect him. He’s two guys. He’s the Harvard guy and then he’s the normal guy. They all make fun of him for being a Harvard guy, but he’s a normal guy, too.”

While some observers are surprised that Fitzpatrick isn’t already under contract with the Jets, Johnson said that he’s not surprised by the ongoing negotiations. He also hinted that the Jets would be comfortable with Fitzpatrick missing the offseason program since he already has a handle on Chan Gailey‘s offense.

Johnson declined to discuss the Jets’ Plan B if Fitzpatrick is not re-signed, but GM Mike Maccagnan previously indicated that Geno Smith is a “definite possibility” to step into the starting role. The Jets also have reserve Bryce Petty under contract and have explored a few other out-of-house options. The team recently met with Robert Griffin III, but Cimini writes that the Jets do not have “strong interest” in him. For what it’s worth, Johnson says that the team was very impressed with RG3 as a person.

When it comes to quarterback, Johnson admits that the team has swung and missed on at least one tremendous opportunity.

“We could’ve drafted Russell Wilson in the second round [in 2012],” he said. “We’ve had shots at players, but we didn’t take those. Hopefully, we’re getting better at evaluating talent, particularly at quarterback.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.