NFL Rumors: Cleveland Browns Not Changing Up Offense For Robert Griffin III

NFL rumors are swirling around Robert Griffin III. Now that he is free of the Washington Redskins, he can try to resurrect his professional football career with the Cleveland Browns. As one of the most dynamic quarterbacks that the National Football League has ever seen, the belief is that new Browns head coach Hue Jackson would modify his offense to take advantage of the versatility. According to the NFL website, Jackson is not going to change his playbook for Griffin III.

When asked about the possibility of changing up his playbook, Hue Jackson downplayed things, much like a veteran NFL coach would do. Jackson is smart enough to know that he would be putting a ton of additional pressure on Robert Griffin III if he stated that he was modifying his playbook for his latest quarterback project. People would certainly use that against Griffin III if he were to struggle early on during his stint with the Cleveland Browns.

Instead of stating that he would change up his playbook for Robert Griffin III, Hue Jackson stated that his offensive scheme was versatile enough to be a fit for any quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Once again, that’s just something that a veteran NFL coach would say to not tip his hands on what he plans to do on game day. Just about every coach in the National Football League makes modifications to their offensive scheme to suit their players and their strengths.

Mike Shanahan was the former head coach of the Washington Redskins. He’s quite familiar with Robert Griffin III. Shanahan believes that Griffin III has the best chance at succeeding in the NFL if he were in a system that ran the read option plays. Hue Jackson didn’t run a ton of those plays when he was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the luxury of having Andy Dalton as his quarterback.

When asked about the suggestion from Mike Shanahan, Hue Jackson was quick to dismiss the idea. Once again, though, this might just be Jackson saying things to keep the focus away from Robert Griffin III. At some point in the NFL season, perhaps even at the beginning of the regular season, Jackson and the Cleveland Browns are going to unveil some read option plays for Griffin III.

Since there aren’t a ton of offensive weapons, the Cleveland Browns might have to resort to unorthodox plays in order to generate yards and touchdowns. When executed properly, the read option can be a very difficult offense to defend against. Look at what Colin Kaepernick was able to do with the San Francisco 49ers when they went to the Super Bowl. Robert Griffin III might not be successful that quickly, but he can help the Browns.

If, for whatever reasons, Hue Jackson really does stand true to his words and tries to force Robert Griffin III into being a traditional NFL quarterback, then things might not work out all too well for the Cleveland Browns. Jackson would then become one of the many coaches in the National Football League who have tried and failed to resurrect the downtrodden franchise. It would also be quite puzzling to see one of the brightest football minds around not being able to figure out how to use Griffin III to the fullest of his abilities.

Hue Jackson is a really smart football coach. That’s a big reason why people in the NFL have praised the Cleveland Browns for giving him a second chance at being a head coach. His reputation will grown exponentially if he can get Robert Griffin III and the Cleveland Browns back on track.

[Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images]