Robert Griffin III Named Browns Starting QB over Josh McCown

Robert Griffin III joined the Cleveland Browns in hopes of getting another chance to start in the NFL, and Browns head coach Hue Jackson delivered, naming Griffin the team's starting quarterback Monday, per ClevelandBrowns.com's Andrew Gribble:

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Robert has earned the right to be named the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. Since he was signed back in March, Robert has made it clear through his actions that he is willing to do everything that has been asked of him to earn this role. Throughout this process he has gained the respect from his teammates, the coaching staff and the entire organization that is necessary for him to lead our offense and really the entire team. Pep (Hamilton) has done an outstanding job with that room to get us to this point so we can make this decision at what I feel is the optimal time which enables us to best prepare for the regular season.

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The former Heisman Trophy winner hasn't played an NFL game since 2014. Kirk Cousins beat him out for the Washington Redskins' starting job last year. Many criticized the decision at the time, but Cousins led Washington to an NFC East crown while throwing for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The team cut RG3 in March, which represented a swift fall from grace for a player who not long ago had been the face of the franchise. Signing with the Browns was a natural fit for Griffin in terms of playing time given their lack of depth at quarterback. He may be biting off more than he can chew, however, thinking he can remedy Cleveland's inability to develop a QB.

Since the team re-entered the league in 1999, 24 quarterbacks have started at least one game, per Pro-Football-Reference.com:

Player	Year(s)	Starts
Tim Couch	1999-2003	59
Derek Anderson	2006-09	34
Colt McCoy	2010-12	21
Brandon Weeden	2012-13	20
Charlie Frye	2005-07	19
Brian Hoyer	2013-14	16
Kelly Holcomb	2001-04	12
Brady Quinn	2007-09	12
Trent Dilfer	2005	11
Jeff Garcia	2004	10
Jason Campbell	2013	8
Johnny Manziel	2014-15	8
Josh McCown	2015-present	8
Doug Pederson	2000	8
Seneca Wallace	2010-11	7
Jake Delhomme	2010	4
Luke McCown	2004	4
Ken Dorsey	2006-08	3
Austin Davis	2015	2
Ty Detmer	1999	2
Bruce Gradkowski	2008	1
Thad Lewis	2012	1
Connor Shaw	2014	1
Spergon Wynn	2000	1

Some might argue going to Cleveland is the opposite of what a quarterback looking to rejuvenate his career should do.

Of course, Griffin isn't the only involved party taking a leap of faith.

It's no secret RG3 wasn't the same following his knee injury in the playoffs his rookie season in 2012. In a parallel universe, he would've stayed healthy and matched Cam Newton's impact on the Carolina Panthers. Instead, the question remains as to whether Griffin can even be a viable starting QB in the NFL.

The fact Griffin's rushing numbers tailed off after his rookie season isn't a surprise; his decline as a passer was far more concerning:

Season	GS	Yards	Comp. %	TD	INT	Carries	Rush Yds.	Rush TDs
2012	15	3,200	65.6	20	5	120	815	7
2013	13	3,203	60.1	16	12	86	489	0
2014	9	1,694	68.7	4	6	38	176	1

Still, RG3 is only 26, so it's far too early to definitively say his days as a starter are over.

Going with Josh McCown as the starter would've been the safer choice for the Browns. He threw for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games in 2015.

"I would be remiss if I didn't also commend Josh, Austin and Cody," Jackson said. "Josh in particular has been outstanding throughout this process and all of our quarterbacks have worked well together. Their play, professionalism and work ethic has pushed the room to really improve the level of play at the position for our team."

Griffin, on the other hand, carries more risk with a higher reward. If this move works out, the Browns could have their QB of the present and future. In May, general manager Sashi Brown said he'd be open to the idea of committing to RG3 for the long haul if things work out, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer:

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Our plan would be for Robert, if it carries out, to come in, solidify himself and then, if we felt like he's our answer longer term, to begin working on a longer-term deal. Way premature to be talking about that at this point. He's got to earn the starting job and then be able to show that he can lead our offense in a manner that's going to allow us to be successful to compete for this division and, ultimately, for the Super Bowl.

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Should Griffin struggle, Cleveland has a contingency plan: the NFL draft. The team could select Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Ole Miss' Chad Kelly, the Miami Hurricanes' Brad Kaaya or another passer early in the 2017 draft to be the new long-term plan at quarterback.

As ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi argued, the worst thing the Browns could be in 2016 is mediocre:

Griffin could prove to be a flop in Cleveland, but the team is essentially on the hook for only one year of his services. According to Over the Cap, he carries a $9.25 million cap hit in 2017, but should the Browns cut him in the offseason, they'd only carry $1.75 million in dead money.

Barring a miracle, the team won't be a serious playoff contender next year. According to Odds Shark, the Browns are tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the longest Super Bowl 51 odds (100-1).

Either Griffin delivers that miracle—or at least shows flashes of his 2012 self—thus solving Cleveland's QB problems, or RG3 isn't the answer, allowing Brown to weigh his options a year from now.