The Browns made some news on Monday concerning a former Washington Redskin.
At just past 3 p.m., they announced that they had signed defensive lineman Chigbo Anunoby (pronounced chi-BOO an-uh-NO-bee).
Out of tiny Morehouse, the 6-foot-3, 316-pounder is officially in his first NFL season even though he entered the league four years ago. Originally signed by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent in 2012, the London, England native has spent time on the practices squads of the Colts, Redskins and Tennessee Titans.
To make room on the roster, the Browns waived defensive lineman Kyle Rose, who was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 5.
We’ll see how Anunoby pans out.
And oh, by the way, the Browns announced just before 9:30 a.m. Monday that they have named Robert Griffin III, also a former Redskin, as their starting quarterback.
But that is hardly news. If anything at all, it is old, old, old news, dating back five months. Though not “officially,” he was named the starter when he signed with the Browns in March. What happened Monday was nothing more than a footnote to that. It shouldn’t have raised an eyebrow of anyone who follows this team.
Though the Browns bent over backwards to say he didn’t do it, it most certainly was head coach Hue Jackson who recruited Griffin to sign here in free agency. Come on, who else would have done it? Jackson has a double-major in quarterbacks and offense. He has a great reputation in both a areas, and he used that street cred to woo RG 3.
It was a match made in heaven. Jackson desperately needed a quarterback to steady his team, and RG 3 needed a new home and a fresh start to save his sinking career. Jackson was only too happy to extend the invitation to Griffin, who was only too happy to accept it.
Jackson really wanted Griffin, so much so that when he signed him, he tied his wagon to the quarterback in many regards. Indeed, they are indelibly linked to one another now. If the Griffin experiment crashes and burns, then it could take Jackson down with him in Cleveland, if not forever as an NFL head coach. So, pure and simple, this was Jackson’s guy from the get-go.
He wasn’t going to start Josh McCown, a nice guy who puts up big stats from time to time but hardly ever makes a meaningful play in a game that contributes to a win, or Cody Kessler, a greener-than-green rookie.
Thus, some might say that Griffin was named the starter by default, but if they did, they’d be wrong. Regardless of what other quarterbacks were on the roster, Jackson was going to go out and hand-pick someone who met his requirements. Kessler – at least now – and McCown don’t. RG 3 does. If Jackson is going to stick his neck out there, he has to trust the quarterback.
Is Griffin the ultimate answer to the Browns’ long, long search to find a quarterback? That’s hard to say, but my guess would be no. He will be a bridge to that guy
But in meantime, Jackson, associate head coach/offense Pep Hamilton senior offensive assistant Al Saunders are going to coach up Griffin like crazy to get everything out of him that’s there to be had. They are very intelligent football men and will put him into a situation where he can succeed. And I think he will succeed to at least some extent. I really do, because I believe in these coaches.
Now, certainly not what me and others like me think, but how well – or not – Griffin actually does will be the real story.
What happened on Monday was just the rubber-stamping of a story that was written way back when we were still worried about snowstorms, not battling oppressive heat and humidity.
So while we’re waiting to see how one former Redskin performs at quarterback, let’s check out what another former Redskin does at defensive line.
