The Browns might be one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this offseason, but for all the right reasons this time around. A new brain trust turned a No. 2 pick into a bevy of potential foundational pieces and are leaving themselves plenty of options when it comes to their quarterback of the future.
On Saturday, the team held its fan fest in Cleveland, which meant updates on a ton of moving pieces, including Robert Griffin III.
"You know, our plan would be for Robert to come in and solidify himself and you know, if we felt like he was our answer long term, we would begin to work on a long-term deal," Sashi Brown, the team's executive VP of football operations, said via Cleveland.com. "Way premature to talk about at this point. He's gotta come in and earn the starting job and then show that he can lead our offense in a manner that is going to be successful in this division and ultimately in a Super Bowl."
Brown went on to say that Griffin could be more than just a "bridge" to either 2016 rookie Cody Kessler or whomever the Browns decide is their long-term answer at quarterback. That is the hope, of course, with a 26-year-old former No. 2 overall pick who has an offensive rookie of the year award under his belt. Griffin probably has more well wishes and potential attached to him than any option the Browns had in this draft or the one coming in 2017. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but taking the chance has far less of a negative attached than in years past. The Browns did not risk a high draft pick on Griffin, and are only paying him about three percent of their salary cap. The team can dream big with the knowledge that they can back out easy as well.
Here are a few other nuggets from fan fest:
» Corner Joe Haden is now in a walking boot, an upgrade from the cart he was using following offseason ankle surgery (via Ohio.com)
» Sashi Brown said that third-round pick Carl Nassib has "as good a motor if not better than (Chargers first-round pick) Joey Bosa," per Cleveland.com.
» The team was pleasantly surprised by how many draft picks they were able to generate out of the No. 2 pick (via Cleveland.com).