Browns Notes: RG3, McCown, DePo, Hairston

The Browns have made numerous changes over the past few months, altering their front office, field staff, and roster. If you haven’t been following along, we’ve got you covered — check out our Offseason In Review to learn about Cleveland’s moves on and off the field, and read our Impact Rookies piece to see scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas’ thoughts on the Browns’ expansive rookie class.

Here’s the latest of out of Cleveland:

  • The quarterback competition is all but over in Cleveland, and Robert Griffin III is highly likely to be named the starter ahead of the club’s first preseason game, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Of course, the Browns and head coach Hue Jackson seemed to favor Griffin from the moment they signed him to a two-year deal, so veteran Josh McCown and third-round rookie Cody Kessler never had much of a shot to wrest away the starting gig. Cleveland isn’t likely to carry four quarterbacks on its opening day roster, so either Austin Davis (who signed an extension in September) or McCown is probably going to be released or traded. McCown, for what it’s worth, was mentioned in trade talks earlier this year.
  • Although the Browns are pleased with Griffin, the team figures to continue its ongoing search for a franchise quarterback, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta tells Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. DePodesta made the argument that we’ve heard other Cleveland decision-makers espouse, asserting that quarterbacks are valuable enough that a club should never cease trying to acquire difference-makers at the position. The former MLB executive also explained why Cleveland opted to trade the No. 2 overall pick rather than select North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, suggesting that the team may have kept the draft choice had Jared Goff been available. “I think the hardest part, and where we have to stay the most disciplined, as much as you want a player, you can’t invent him if he doesn’t exist,” said DePodesta. “In a given year, there may be two or three NFL-ready quarterbacks at the college level. In another year, there literally may be zero. There just may be not be anybody in that year who’s good enough to be a top 20 quarterback in the NFL.”
  • The Browns are bringing in former East Carolina running back Chris Hairston for a workout, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Hairston, not to be confused with the Chargers offensive lineman of the same name, went undrafted earlier this year, but he did earn an invite to the Chiefs’ rookie minicamp. During his senior season, Hairston rushed 165 times for 754 yards and eight touchdowns, and also added 29 receptions. Cleveland’s roster currently includes a number of backs, with Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, Raheem Mostert, and Terrell Watson among them, but lacks an established option.
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