Which Of The Teams Interested In Robert Griffin III Could Actually Sign Him?

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What a turnaround it’s been for Robert Griffin III. For over an entire season, he was persona non grata in Washington, raked over the coals by local media and plunked behind Kirk Cousins, who was drafted three rounds after him, on the depth chart. Now that he’s been released, however, it seems he’s as valuable a commodity as he’s been in years, with multiple teams in need of a quarterback rumored to be interested in his services. Let’s break them down, in ascending order of likelihood.

  • San Francisco 49ers: Any rumors of Griffin joining Chip Kelly in San Francisco operate under the assumption that Colin Kaepernick is out the door, because one mobile quarterback who hasn’t been at his best since 2012 is enough for any roster. The 49ers have never been linked all that strongly to Griffin, and rumors involving a trade of Kaep to the Browns have cooled. If Kaepernick does leave town, then the RGIII talk will heat up again.
  • New York Jets: Griffin met with Jets head coach Todd Bowles on Friday, but the Jets’ priority at quarterback seems to be bringing back Ryan Fitzpatrick. The way those negotiations are going, if Fitz comes back, he’ll be the unquestioned starter, and RGIII has better options than as the dedicated backup in New York.
  • Denver Broncos: The Broncos are in a tough position after Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler bolted to the Texans. They’ve already brought on Mark Sanchez, but head coach Gary Kubiak has admitted that they’re still looking for more options, and Griffin is one of them. With the kind of talent they still have on the roster, RGIII should jump at the chance if they come calling. Then again, with that kind of talent, they may prefer to stick with more boring, veteran caretakers to try to replicate their Super Bowl-winning formula from last season.
  • Cleveland Browns: Griffin has also met with the Browns, whose new head coach Hue Jackson promptly turned around and told the press lots of great things about “the humbleness” that RGIII has gained. (We think we’re going to like Hue’s tenure in Cleveland.) The Browns’ position is uniquely suited to Griffin, in that they have a high pick to use, potentially on a quarterback, and could bring Griffin in as camp competition at the very least. Somehow, signing Griffin and picking a quarterback second overall, only to create a multi-year QB controversy seems like the most Browns thing possible — which is why our money is on it happening.

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