Cleveland Browns: Sign Griffin, Draft Wentz, Keep McCown

The smartest play the Cleveland Browns could make at quarterback would be to sign Robert Griffin III, draft Carson Wentz and keep Josh McCown.

The Cleveland Browns have officially signed Robert Griffin III to a 2-year deal. This ‘prove it deal’ shouldn’t stop the Browns from using the 2^nd overall pick on Carson Wentz, the quarterback from North Dakota State. And while many are speculating the Browns would trade Josh McCown, their starter from last year, they should actually keep him on the roster as well, leaving Austin Davis and Connor Shaw as the odd men out in the rotation.

The move to get Griffin makes sense on a number of levels. He’s still young at 26 years old, and although he has struggled in the NFL after a terrific rookie campaign, there are tools to work with and develop. Citing newfound humility and a willingness to be coached, Hue Jackson will have the ability to work with Griffin and try to reinvent him into a pocket passer in his offense.

Griffin’s obviously a talented quarterback prospect with a terrific arm and accuracy for the position. Unfortunately, he came out of Baylor with elite athleticism, which was a blessing and a curse. It made him a dual threat and someone the defense had to account for, always able to extend or break open plays with his legs.

Now, after multiple injuries, his athleticism isn’t what it was, and the quarterback who used to be able to escape from any almost any situation and extend the play was just getting decked by opposing defenders. What makes his athleticism a curse is the fact that- because he could always extend plays= he didn’t have a clock in his head to get rid of the ball and didn’t have to be able to quickly process coverages.

When Griffin came back and was finally healthy, he wasn’t making decisions quickly enough, would take awful sacks and throw passes late into coverage. As a result, Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden benched him in favor of Kirk Cousins, who could process and get rid of the ball much faster.

This is what Griffin now has to learn and hopefully pick up quickly so that he can be the starting quarterback for the Browns in 2016. It will not be easy, but Jackson has laid out how it will be with Griffin and is convinced that Griffin will listen to him.

Signing Griffin is a smart move as long as it’s not being made in a vacuum. Because of the issues that are holding Griffin back as a pocket passer in addition to the injury questions make it so that Griffin is a worthwhile signing but show why he can’t be only quarterback they add.

The argument can be made that the Browns, having signed Griffin, can just roll with him and move onto other needs. It’s just difficult to imagine that Jackson, having such a history with developing quarterbacks, is going to pass on an opportunity to handpick the guy he wants to lead is team.

Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad quarterback Carson Wentz of North Dakota State (11) looks to throw a pass during first half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

The Browns still need to draft a quarterback and Carson Wentz is the best option. Especially with Griffin in the fold, the Browns can have Wentz sit and learn, which is ideal for him coming out of North Dakota State. He is the best fit for what Jackson seeks in a quarterback and what he wants to do with his offense.

Not having to rush Wentz on the field is hugely important. He played at a lower level in the FCS and only started 23 games. The Browns should take an approach not unlike the then Houston Oilers did with Steve McNair when he came out of Alcorn State as the 3^rd overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft.

McNair was a terrific talent coming out of the SWAC conference but as with Wentz, the NFL was simply a different speed. With Chris Chandler as their veteran and bridge, McNair only played 13 games in his first 2 years in the league, starting just 6 of them. The wait was worth it as the Titans then got 11 years of excellent quarterback play including a trip to the Super Bowl.

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This doesn’t mean that Wentz needs to sit for 2 seasons. What it shows is a nice blueprint for how a quarterback like Wentz could be developed. If Wentz overachieves and is simply too good to keep on the bench, then put him out there and let him shine. It simply provides the Browns with a ton of options.

Griffin’s 2 year contract is a ‘prove it deal’ for him. If he shines, the Browns could opt to try to sign him to a longterm deal and trade Wentz for picks. They could trade Griffin or let him walk and sign a big contract in free agency. Options are good.

The last piece of the puzzle might be the most important. Josh McCown staying a member of the Browns would be a very smart move. If Griffin were to get hurt and Wentz isn’t ready, McCown is more than capable of stepping in and playing. Despite the team’s dismal record last year, McCown played above average and fits what Jackson wants in a quarterback.

For the Browns, a team that routinely goes through 3 quarterbacks per year, having an extra guy before having to rush a rookie into the lineup is a valuable commodity.

More importantly, McCown is a tremendous professional and someone who relishes the opportunity to work with and mentor young quarterbacks. Griffin and Cousins had a working relationship in Washington but they weren’t close. They were competing for the same job after all. Griffin and Wentz may well have a similar dynamic in Cleveland.

McCown can be the adult in the room that is able to ease the tension. Competition is great but having a contentious meeting room isn’t productive. And despite where Manziel’s demons took him, he praised McCown quite a bit for how beneficial he was in helping him as a quarterback.

Especially for a rookie quarterback like Wentz, having someone who is willing to help them make the transition from pro to college is important. From showing what it takes to being a professional on the field to some of the realities of life off of it, having someone who has gone through it is valuable and could really help Wentz adapt more quickly.

The last thing that makes McCown important to the equation is reps. The biggest issue with having a room full of young quarterbacks is they all need as many reps as humanly possible. Practice reps are limited, especially with the way the newest collective bargaining agreement limits how much practice time teams can have.

Griffin and Wentz are going to demand a ton of reps. Another added benefit with McCown is that he simply doesn’t need all that many to be ready, assuming he ever needs to be utilized. For example, if Griffin were to suffer a concussion or something and be forced to miss a game, McCown could step in that week and get the starter’s reps and be ready to play without much of an issue.

In the end, the Browns would have the most talented, well rounded quarterback room they’ve had since the team came back in 1999 with 3 quarterbacks that have or could legitimately start games for an NFL team. Everything is geared toward the success of Wentz as well as being a good spot for Griffin to potentially resurrect his career while McCown continues to be the consummate professional and mentor he signed up to be when he was brought in last year.

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Until the Browns find a suitable answer to the quarterback position, they will continue to be at the bottom of the AFC North staring up. Having Griffin, Wentz and McCown in the fold under Jackson is about as good a starting point as the team could hope for.

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