NFL Draft plans changing for Cleveland Browns after Robert Griffin III signing?
The Cleveland Browns signed Robert Griffin III but what does this mean for Carson Wentz and the direction they take with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft?
After flirting with Robert Griffin III for the last week, the Cleveland Browns made it official on Thursday and inked the former offensive rookie of the year to a two-year contract.
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The Browns had a glaring hole at the quarterback position after the failed Johnny Manziel era so they had to upgrade the depth chart and they didn’t have to invest a lot to get him.
If he can stay healthy and grow under Hue Jackson and Pep Hamilton and he gets Josh Gordon back from suspension, the Browns may have their best quarterback situation since Vinny Testaverde was under center.
They have Josh McCown on the roster but he could be trade bait, but the big question is if the RG3 signing will preclude the Browns from using the No. 2 pick to take Carson Wentz, the top quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft, who had a stellar pro day workout on Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the signing of RG3 won’t have any impact on what the Browns do in the draft.
Signing RGIII not expected to have any impact on what Cleveland does in draft.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 24, 2016
A QB still expected to be the pick.
The Browns could take Wentz at No. 2 and have an insurance policy in place with RG3 so Wentz won’t necessarily be thrust into a starting job immediately in his rookie year. The Browns will hope they can tap into the player we saw during RG3’s rookie season when he led the Washington Redskins to the playoffs and afford Wentz the time to sit on the bench and learn.
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This would be an ideal scenario considering Wentz only has a season and a half worth of starting experience on the FCS level, so sitting would allow him to get accustomed to the speed of the NFL.
Without this signing, the pressure would be on Wentz to step in and be the starter right away, which could risk stunting his development. That’s something that has plagued the Browns for decades, so it may finally appear the Browns know what they’re doing at the most important position in sports.