Browns aren't second-guessing decision to pass on Carson Wentz yet
Coach Hue Jackson says Wentz played well, but the QB wasn't the right fit in Cleveland
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
Here's a question Hue Jackson can expect every day for the rest of his life, even after he and the Browns go their separate ways: "Do you regret passing on Carson Wentz and settling on Robert Griffin III?
Of course, until Sunday, most rational folks could understand why the Browns traded out of the No. 2 pick -- they need to restock then entire roster, and they weren't in love with Wentz as a franchise quarterback. Plus, Jackson is known for his ability to get the most out of his players, and the hope was that he'd be able to do exactly that with Robert Griffin III.
Training camp and preseason offered signs of encouragement, but in the regular-season opener, Griffin, the 2012 No. 2 pick, looked a lot like the guy who struggled with the Redskins, right down to his refusal to avoid big hits. Given the football gods' hatred for the Browns, perhaps it's only fitting that Wentz, a third-string quarterback two weeks ago, not only made his NFL debut against Cleveland, but looked like a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, Griffin has landed on injured reserve after needlessly getting clocked on his way out of bounds late in Sunday's game.
Back to Hue. Wentz looked pretty good, right? Any regrets yet?
"No, we haven't (second-guessed ourselves),'' Jackson said, via Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "That's one thing I can tell you for sure has not happened. He had a good game, a great game if you guys want to term it that, and I respect that. He's a fine young man and they have good coaches and a good organization, and he is going to do well for them, but that was one game.
"He played well. Like I said, we'll look back and see where he is over a period of time, but the Browns have to get better. That's what we have to do. We have to play better, and I think we all understand that."
Specifically, Wentz finished 22 of 37 for 278 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, RG3 was 12 of 26 for 190 yards and a pick.
So yeah.
Last week, Jackson explained why the team passed on Wentz.
"We didn't draft Carson Wentz because we didn't think it was the right fit for our team at this time," Jackson told Mike Florio on PFT Live. "There's nothing more to it. Obviously, that will make for great debate in the media, and that's fine. Our singular focus right now is just preparing to face the Eagles."
It's a reasonable stance. Teams reach for young quarterbacks all the time. But we're also talking about the Browns, who are the NFL's version of George Costanza -- "If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right."
But there's good news! The Browns will turn the offense over to 37-year-old backup Josh McCown, who has no plans to tank the season.
"For me and the other veterans on this team, a Hall of Famer like Joe Thomas, that can't and won't be the mindset," McCown told PFT Live. "Our mindset is to compete and play to win football games. The rest of that is down the road, but our mindset is to compete."
