Robert Griffin III nears deal to join Browns
— -- The Cleveland Browns appear to have found one piece of their quarterback puzzle, as they are expected to sign Robert Griffin III on Thursday, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Griffin, 26, was released by the Washington Redskins on March 7, two days before his 2016 option, worth $16,155,000, would have become guaranteed.
He will come to Cleveland with a chance to revive his career for a coach who thinks highly of him.
Griffin visited Cleveland on March 18 and 19, and coach Hue Jackson raved about what he heard. That was enough for the Browns to be willing to take a chance on a guy who did not play a down in 2015.
"Our visit was very informative, a lot of dialogue back and forth," Jackson said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. "A lot of tough questions asked, a lot of tough questions answered. I don't baby people. I'm sorry. That's just not who I am. I ask the tough questions and I expect to get the tough answers, and he handled all that extremely well."
Griffin was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, after the Redskins traded two first-round picks and a second and swapping first-rounders with the Rams. The Heisman Trophy winner hasn't lived up to the success he enjoyed as a rookie, when he guided the Redskins to an NFC East title and was named the offensive rookie of the year after setting an NFL record for rookies with a 102.4 passer rating.
However, he partially tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in December of that season and then tore the ACL in that knee in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Friction with the coaching staff came to light that offseason, and 2013 was the last season he was a full-time starter before he was shut down with three games to go by then-coach Mike Shanahan due to the high number of sacks Griffin was taking.
Jay Gruden took over as coach in 2014, ostensibly to fix Griffin, but it didn't help. Griffin struggled in training camp and into the season. He missed six games because of a dislocated ankle suffered in Week 2 and was later benched for three games, only to return after his replacement, Colt McCoy, injured his neck.
Griffin lost the Redskins' starting quarterback job in August and served as Washington's No. 3 quarterback last season. He was active for one game.
Jackson said Griffin took responsibility for his failing in Washington, and was honest about his mistakes. He also said he sees Griffin's success in 2012 as a benefit.
"He's played," Jackson said, "and he's played at a high level. You're talking about a guy who knows what it's like to be a quarterback in the National Football League. He understands the pressure, the stress. He understands what it takes to get ready during the week playing a game, as opposed to the other guys who are coming out. They've never been through it."
The Browns own the second pick in the 2016 draft, and Jackson and director of football operations Sashi Brown both said having Griffin would not stop them from taking a quarterback if they felt he was the best player.
Jackson liked what he saw of Jared Goff at the quarterback's pro day workout at Cal, and he will see Carson Wentz at North Dakota State on Thursday.
The Browns have Josh McCown, 37, on the roster, as well as Austin Davis, 26, and Connor Shaw, 24. It's not yet known if Griffin's presence will affect McCown's status.
ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim contributed to this report.
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