FORMER WASHINGTON QUARTERBACK Robert Griffin III is now a Cleveland Browns player.
The 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year was a free agent having failed to play a single snap in 2015 after being usurped by Kirk Cousins as his team’s starting quarterback.
However, next season RGIII will hope to end decades of unrest at the quarterback position in Clelveland.
No fewer than 22 different quarterbacks have started a game for the Browns since Tim Couch played 16 games for Cleveland back in 2002.
To put that in context, only Tom Brady and Matt Cassel have started for the New England Patriots in that time, the latter for just 15 games while the former was injured in 2008.
Whether or not RGIII is the answer, remains to be seen. A number two overall pick in 2012, he helped his team to nine wins in 15 games that first season, throwing for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He also added 800 yards on his feet.
However, the loss of offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan and a serious knee injury put paid to his development and he failed to live up to his early promise managing less than 5,000 yards, 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions between 2013 and 2014.
The Browns have the number two overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and were widely expected to take a quarterback — Carson Wentz and Jared Goff being the favourites — but may also look to trade down.
Alternatively, they could still select a quarterback like Wentz who is undoubtedly talented but played at the FCS level in college so could take some time to adapt to the NFL, and have him sit behind RG III for a year or two.
This is the most likely scenario with the 26-year-old signing a two-year deal worth $15 million, $6.75m of which is guaranteed.
As always, Browns fans live more in hope than expectation.
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