It’s official! The Cleveland Browns have locked up Robert Griffin III on a two-year deal with $6.5 million guaranteed. The base salary is $15 million, but the former Redskin could earn up to $22 million with performance-based incentives.
The injury-prone QB should be well rested after not seeing a snap all of last season behind Kirk Cousins in Washington.
How will he do in Cleveland? Well, only will time tell us the answer to that question. What we do know though, is that the bar for quarterback attitudes is very very low. Johnny Manziel’s off-field idiocies were constant. This should bode well for the oft-frustrated RG3.
Looking to place a bet on NFL Futures, this is the place for you!
Check out these latest articles at Top Bet News
- Can Conor McGregor defy the odds and beat Floyd Mayweather?
- Best Mayweather-McGregor Press Conference Quotes
- 2017 ESPY Awards Predictions, Picks and Preview
Robert Griffin III to the Cleveland Browns
Upgrade or Downgrade?
As we mentioned, Robert Griffin III is a definite upgrade over Johnny Manziel. Is he an upgrade over the oft-injured Josh McCown though? Well, let’s take a look. Through one of McCown’s best seasons last year, although he only played 8 games, he averaged 263-yards per game with a 63% completion percentage. He also ran the ball for 12.2-yards per game.
RG3’s last action came in 2014, when he played 9 games. Though that season though, Griffin averaged 188-yards per game through the air with a 68% completion percentage. However, he also ran for 19.6 yards per game on the ground. Wait a second, that’s it?
Yes, his lower body has never been the same following multiple surgeries. In his 2012 rookie season, he ran the football for 54.3 YPG, but has watched his YPG steadily decrease annually from there. He hasn’t gotten the job done on the ground and he hasn’t gotten the job done through the air. So what’s the point?
The Payoff
RG3 hasn’t played a snap since 2014. Last season head coach Jay Gruden sat the former Rookie of the Year in favor of new(er) “franchise” quarterback Kirk Cousins. KC led the Skins back to the postseason and made everyone completely forget about their former starter. In the process, RG3 sat back and made a lot of money. I mean, A LOT of money. $6.7 million dollars-worth of unearned cash found its way into the roman numeral kid’s pocket.
He now knows that this starting job could be his last. If RG3 can’t shine in Cleveland as their 25th starting quarterback since 1999, he could become the next Derek Anderson. A guy that got his shot and then carried a clipboard for the rest of his career.
So the added pressure should pay off for the Cleveland Browns and their new quarterback.
The Draft
ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the team won’t waste their opportunity to select a quarterback with the number two pick in the draft despite signing RG3. This entry draft, for a change, actually features some quality insta-starters at the QB position.
California’s Jared Goff, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch would all look good in orange and brown. They’re very confident and capable backs and are ready to walk into a starting role today.
The idea is to bring one of them in and work them behind RG3. If Griffin doesn’t impress, he’s out and they’re in. It’d be the first time…maybe ever…that Cleveland would be fairly set at the quarterback position.
The Odds
Sorry everyone, nothing’s changed. The Browns went from 150-1 Super Bowl sleepers to 150-1 Super Bowl sleepers. If you’re think they’re in better standing to take the division though, click here and take your instincts up a notch!
