Hue Jackson On Josh McCown
Interestingly, the Browns’ decision to give Robert Griffin III all of their first-team reps in training camp before naming him their starting quarterback Tuesday was backup Josh McCown‘s idea, writes Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
“(McCown) was the guy that came to me and said, ‘Hey coach, make sure this guy gets all the reps he needs to be the best he can be,”’ said first-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson. “(He said) ‘you know who I am.’ Obviously he would love to have the job too, but I think he understands his role.”
That was an unselfish move by McCown, who was ostensibly going to compete for the No. 1 job with Griffin, the Browns’ most noteworthy offseason addition. The 37-year-old has instead served as a mentor to Griffin, 26, with Jackson saying,“A lot of him getting better has to do with Josh McCown.”
As a result of both his leadership and his status as a quality reserve, the Browns would like to retain McCown, notes Cabot, who points out that they rejected Dallas’ attempt to acquire him last week.
NFL Execs Down On RG3
Griffin was a superstar early on with the Redskins, but things fizzled out for him in a hurry as his relationship with coach Mike Shanahan also went south. Under coach Jay Gruden, he watched Kirk Cousins go from understudy to undisputed starter, ending his D.C. run in bizarre fashion. Still, the Browns see something in the former Baylor star and their commitment to him this offseason clearly demonstrates that. In the spring, the Browns inked him to a two-year pact worth $15MM, with a signing bonus of $3.5MM and $6.75MM in total guarantees.
- Will Desmond Bryant receive his $6MM base salary for the 2016 season? He may have to battle it out with the Browns.
Browns, Desmond Bryant Discussing 2016 Payment
Desmond Bryant will miss the season due to the torn pectoral muscle he sustained while working out in between the Browns’ minicamp and training camp, but the team and the defensive end’s agent are discussing if he’ll be paid in 2016, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports
.
Since Bryant injured the muscle in New York and not at the Browns’ facility, the Browns do not have to pay him any of his would-be $6MM base salary for 2016 since they placed him on the non-football injury list. But this negotiation’s outcome could have a wide-ranging impact, Schefter adds, since Bryant was working out to stay in shape on his own time, as players are expected to.
Bryant confirmed, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, agent Drew Rosenhaus is meeting with the Browns about paying him a portion of his salary even though they do not have to do so. The 30-year-old defensive end could also be released, with the eight-year veteran telling Cabot the Browns “have a decision to make.”
Cabot notes Bryant parted ways with previous agent Andy Simms and hired Rosenhaus to handle this negotiation. Rosenhaus also represents Joe Haden and Josh Gordon, among other Browns.
A projected starter for a Cleveland team that will now rely on second- and third-round picks Emmanuel Ogbah (who is now working at defensive end and outside linebacker after previously focusing on the latter role) and Carl Nassib on the edge more, Bryant is due a $7MM base salary in 2017 as part of the five-year, $34MM deal he signed in 2013. Bryant led Cleveland with six sacks last season.
The rebuilding Browns would save $7MM by cutting him. If Bryant is not released, Cabot expects the Browns to ask him to take a pay cut in advance of the ’17 season since he’ll be 31 and coming off a severe injury.
The Browns, per Cabot, are “working through it” and attempting to find a resolution. If that ends in Bryant not being paid, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk would advise the Browns’ other players to avoid working out between the end of the ’17 offseason program and training camp, considering the optics of penalizing a player for doing so.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hue Jackson Helped Convince Terrelle Pryor To Become WR
- Speaking of the Bengals, current Browns head coach Hue Jackson was a driving force in convincing Terrelle Pryor to make the switch from quarterback to wide receiver when the pair was in Cincinnati, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns drafted five receivers in this year’s draft, adding that rookie crop to a unit that already includes Andrew Hawkins and the recently reinstated Josh Gordon, so Pryor will certainly face competition. But as Cabot details, the former Ohio State QB is likely to make his impact as a deep-ball specialist and a weapon on special teams.
Browns Sign Anunoby, Waive Rose
Browns Name RGIII Starting QB
As expected, the Browns have named Robert Griffin III as their starting quarterback. RGIII, whose contract includes playing time bonuses, will start for Cleveland on Friday in the team’s preseason opener at Green Bay. 
“It’s time. Robert has earned the right to be named the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns,” coach Hue Jackson said in a press release. “Since he was signed back in March, Robert has made it clear through his actions that he is willing to do everything that has been asked of him to earn this role. Throughout this process he has gained the respect from his teammates, the coaching staff and the entire organization that is necessary for him to lead our offense and really the entire team. Pep (Hamilton) has done an outstanding job with that room to get us to this point so we can make this decision at what I feel is the optimal time which enables us to best prepare for the regular season. It’s now on Robert to show the organization and our fans that this is the right decision. Throughout the offseason program and training camp, Robert has shown improvement every day and we expect him to continue to ascend as he becomes more and more acclimated to the offensive system we will employ this season. I’ve been crystal clear on what we expect from Robert. He fully understands the responsibility and I feel he is ready to handle this role.”
With Griffin officially named as the team’s starter, the Browns can be expected to continue discussing trades involving backup Josh McCown. After the Cowboys struck out on free agent Nick Foles last week, they inquired on the veteran. The Browns reportedly want at least a third- or fourth-round pick for McCown and the Cowboys feel that the asking price is too steep.
Griffin is entering his fifth NFL season out of Baylor. Originally selected by Washington with the No. 2 overall pick in 2012, Griffin has appeared in 37 games with 35 starts. Griffin set NFL rookie records for passer rating (102.4), interception percentage (1.27) and rushing yards by a quarterback (815) en route to being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl selection. Starting 13 games in 2013, Griffin recorded a career-high 3,203 passing yards and became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to record 3,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons. Unfortunately, things have petered out for Griffin since that point and he is hoping to get back to his old form with his new team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Josh McCown
- As was reported Thursday, the backup quarterback-needy Cowboys are reluctant to meet the Browns’ relatively lofty asking price for Josh McCown. It’s possible the two will eventually agree to a deal, though, and with that in mind, the Browns have talked to McCown about a possible trade, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Cleveland would prefer to keep McCown, but it hasn’t made the 37-year-old any promises (Twitter link).
Browns Make Two Roster Moves
- The Browns placed offensive lineman Michael Bowie on the reserved/retired list and signed undrafted defensive lineman Kenton Adeyemi (UConn) on Friday, per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. Bowie’s only on-field experience came in 2013, when he he appeared in nine games and started eight with Seattle.
Josh McCown On Cowboys’ Radar
THURSDAY, 7:01pm: The Browns likely want at least a third- or fourth-round pick for McCown, writes Cabot.
5:07pm: The Cowboys and Browns have discussed a McCown trade, but Cleveland has attached a high price to the veteran and prefers to keep him, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder (Twitter link). At the moment, the Cowboys are balking at the Browns’ price, adds Werder.
WEDNESDAY: As the Cowboys prepare to target a replacement for Kellen Moore behind Tony Romo, they’re considering Josh McCown, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Now connected to Nick Foles, whom Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones confirmed the team is in talks with, Dallas appears to be conducting a widespread search for a proven option behind Romo. A deal for the 37-year-old McCown would qualify but would cost the Cowboys at least a draft pick. The Browns, though, would probably be willing to part with him for the right price, Cabot writes.
A deal would make sense due to the rebuilding Browns’ most recent draft performance, which featured rampant collecting of picks, and the Cowboys cratering without Romo last season. A native of Jacksonville, Texas, McCown looms likely to see Robert Griffin III take Cleveland’s starting quarterback reins. Cleveland’s previous starter is set to make $4.375MM and 3.625MM the next two seasons after signing with the Browns last year.
McCown finished 14th in passer rating last season despite having one of the league’s worst skill-position arsenals at his disposal. Griffin’s strong start to training camp notwithstanding, the former No. 2 overall pick has a deserved injury-prone reputation, and the Browns would possess only Austin Davis and rookie Cody Kessler if they were to trade McCown.
The Cowboys’ hierarchy here is unknown, but considering Jones already mentioned him to the team’s website, Foles should be considered a frontrunner if the sides are in the same neighborhood, compensation-wise. Dallas finished 1-11 in games Romo didn’t start last season.
The Browns’ starter for eight games last season, McCown completed 63.7% of his passes and threw for 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. In 2014, however, he piloted the Buccaneers to a 1-10 record in his starts and saw the team cut him after one season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Sign Two, Waive One
- The Browns have signed fullback Robert Hughes and running back Rajion Neal, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. To make room, they waived fullback Patrick Skov.