When the Cleveland Browns signed Robert Griffin IIIback in late March, the glaring concern was whether the surrounding talent was strong enough to enable reputed quarterback whisperer Hue Jackson to succeed with his hand-picked reclamation project.
Nearly five months later, Jackson is "tickled pink" over Griffin's 2016 ceiling after naming the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year his starting quarterback on Monday.
Should the NFL cognoscenti share Jackson's unbridled enthusiasm for a quarterback prone toAugustfaceplants?
It was natural to suspect Griffin was being set up for failure when he landed with a team that featured an overhauled offensive line, a no-name backfield and the game's most underwhelming wide receiver corps.
Since the offseason began, though, the Browns drafted a dynamic playmaker in Corey Coleman, received word that 2013 All Pro Josh Gordon's suspension will expire in Week 5 and positioned tailback Duke Johnson for a breakout season.
Throw in Pro Bowl tight end Gary Barnidge, enigmatic wildcard Terrelle Pryor and between-the-tackles hammer Isaiah Crowell, and Griffin's offense suddenly appears to be loaded with potential.
"I know what he's capable of doing. I think I know what our offense is capable of doing," Jackson said Monday, via the Akron Beacon Journal. "We've just got to do it consistently every day."
Multiple league executives recently told NFL Media's Bucky Brooks that they expect Griffin to provide a short-term spark under Jackson's tutelage and early-season game plans.
If the experiment blows up in Jackson's face, on the other hand, it won't be attributable to an inadequate supporting cast.
Here's what else we learned from Monday's action in training camps around the league:
- It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Browns offense on Monday. Jackson noted that Josh Gordon will be the first to tell you that he needs to lose weight. Although Gordon is nursing a quadriceps injury, Jackson is hopeful that the suspended wideout will return to practice soon.
- The Buffalo Bills' injury woes continued on Monday, as NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that left tackle Cordy Glenn is expected to miss the preseason after suffering a high-ankle sprain. This news comes on the heels of injuries to first- and second-round draft picks Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland.
- Don't pencil in a monster workload for second-year Redskins running back Matt Jones just yet. General manager Scot McCloughan revealed on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports that seventh-round pick Keith Marshall will be part of a "two-headed monster" in the backfield.
"But out here, in the last week, he's a one-cut guy, and when he puts his foot in the ground, he can fly," McCloughan explained, via Sharp Football. "He's 220 (pounds) and he can fly."
Marshall also had the run of the day in Monday's practice. A star recruit at Georgia, Marshall is an interesting name to monitor in preseason action. His 4.31 forty-yard dash at 220 pounds was one of the most impressive speed scores in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine.
- Speaking of rookies flying under the radar, Cardinals third-round pick Brandon Williams has drawn raves during the first week of camp. The starting spot opposite Patrick Peterson is Williams' "to lose," coach Bruce Arians said Monday.
- In other Cardinals news, Arians revealed that the organization is working on more contract extensions after signing Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and Tyrann Mathieu to new deals in the past week. Defensive end Calais Campbell, pass rusher Chandler Jones and wide receiver Michael Floyd are obvious candidates for negotiations.
- Halfway through last season, Amari Cooper was so dominant that NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah was inspired to pick the Raiders rookie over Odell Beckham as the young wide receiver with the highest upside. Cooper then stumbled down the stretch while playing through a foot injury so painful that the team considered shutting him down for the season in December.
How serious was the injury? Cooper said Monday, via San Francisco's KGMZ, that he avoided watching his rookie tape this offseason because he was injured for such a large portion of the season that he was never himself.
- Shaking off early-career foot injuries of his own, Julio Jones flirted with the 2,000-yard mark last season. The Falcons superstar acknowledged Monday that it's difficult to even set his sights on 2,000 yards this year.
"When I go (into) games, I don't think about 2,000 yards," Jones said, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. "I had 1,800 yards last year, but I wasn't even thinking about it. Everyone was like, 'Oh, man, you're so close, you're so close. Are you trying to get it? Are you trying to get it?' I'm like, 'I'm trying to go out here and get a W, I'm trying to win the game.'
"But I think it's possible, though. I definitely think it's possible, but it depends on the defense, if they're going to let that guy beat them that day."
- Nick Shook compiled the most interesting of Monday's depth chart revelations from around the league. The first- and second-team wide receivers for the Vikings and Titans might surprise a few people.
