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OK, Browns fans, knowing what you know now, should the Browns have upped their offer to St. Louis last year for the rights to take Robert Griffin III, above, or did they do well by having the Rams not accept their offer?

(AP Photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A year ago, the St. Louis Rams were running an auction for their No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. The main bidders were the Washington Redskins and the Browns. The prize was quarterback Robert Griffin III.

We know Washington came away with Griffin.

The price was Washington's top picks in 2012, '13 and '14 and a second-rounder in 2012.

Here is what the Rams have to show for that deal so far:

• 1. Defensive tackle Michael Brockers (LSU). He played 68 percent of the snaps and recorded four sacks. Profootballfocus.com rated him the No. 33 defensive tackle in the NFL, tied with the Ahtyba Rubin of the Browns. He was their extra first-round pick.

• 2. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama). He played 95 percent of the snaps, intercepted three passes and scored three defensive touchdowns. He also was beat for five touchdowns (same as the Browns' Buster Skrine). Profootballfocus was not impressed with his rookie year, rating him 101st among defensive backs. He was the Rams' extra second-round pick.

• 3. The Rams made trades with the extra picks they acquired from the Redskins that gave them running back Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) and offensive lineman Rokevious Watkins (South Carolina). Pead had 10 carries for 52 yards and played some special teams. Watkins played only 37 snaps.

• 4. The Rams have Washington's first-rounder in this month's draft (No. 22).

• 5. The Rams have Washington's first-rounder in the 2014 draft.

Meanwhile, Griffin was brilliant for Washington. He threw 20 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He completed 66 percent of his passes, ran for 815 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns.

He was the third-ranked quarterback in the NFL, taking a 5-11 team to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth in his first season.

The Rams went from 2-14 in 2011 to 7-8-1 this past season.

There is only one concern about Griffin, and it's significant: Durability.

Griffin had major knee surgery to repair at torn lateral collateral ligament. In the same operation, his anterior cruciate ligament was "reconstructed." That ACL was operated on in 2009. So this is the second major surgery on the same knee.

While Griffin and the Redskins believe he'll be ready for Week 1, it's not a given until he's on the field. Griffin will have to change his scrambling style to have a long-term NFL career. But no doubt, he's a game-changer, a fan-favorite and a top quarterback.

The Browns' offer We may never know what the Browns offered the Rams. Former team President Mike Holmgren insisted the Browns made a superior bid than what the Rams accepted from Washington.

Who knows if that's true.

But we do know what the Redskins paid, three first-round picks and one second-round pick.

Suppose the Browns had traded both of their first-round picks in 2012, a second-rounder in 2012 and a first-rounder in 2013.

The Browns would have Griffin, but they would not have:

• 1. Trent Richardson, who rushed for 950 yards and caught 51 passes. He rushed for 11 touchdowns, seven more than the team's total in 2011. But Richardson never seemed to be 100 percent physically. He had preseason knee surgery and played several games with a broken rib. Richardson's 3.7 yards per carry was modest for a No. 3 pick. The Browns dealt a fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round pick to move up one notch to take Richardson.

• 2. Brandon Weeden, who started at quarterback and was the No. 22 pick. Of course, they wouldn't needed Weeden if they had acquired Griffin.

• 3. Mitchell Schwartz, who played every snap at right tackle. Profootballfocus rated Schwartz 21st of 80 starting tackles. Teammate Joe Thomas ranked No. 6. Schwartz, who filled a major hole for the Browns, appears to be the kind of lineman who may start for 10 years.

•4. No first-round pick in 2013. They also would not have a second-rounder, because they used that choice on Josh Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft.

So the Browns would have an electric quarterback coming off major surgery. They would not have a starting running back (Richardson), right tackle (Schwartz), Weeden, and a first-rounder in 2013.

OK, Browns fans, how do you feel about that?

I'm divided . . .

The shotgun? Griffin made a bigger impact than I had originally thought. I wonder how he would have played in the West Coast offense, where he would have been forced to play under center rather than in the shotgun.

The Browns' previous regime probably would have done that . . . Weeden was a pure shotgun quarterback at Oklahoma State and the Browns had him under center for 61 percent of the snaps.

Griffin threw 75 percent of hiss passes from the shotgun. The NFL average is 66 percent.

This coaching staff likes the shotgun, as Rob Chudzinski (in Carolina) and Norv Turner (San Diego) had their quarterbacks throwing more than 70 percent of their passes from the shotgun.

There would have been another possibility when discussing a Browns-Rams deal.

• 1. The Rams could have taken the Browns' first pick in 2012 (used for Richardson), along with the second-rounder (used for Schwartz).

• 2. The Browns could have kept the No. 22 pick and selected a running back such as Boise State's Doug Martin (No. 31 by Tampa Bay), who rushed for 1,454 yards.

• 3. But the Browns would have no first-round pick in 2013 and 2014. If Griffin stays healthy, he's worth it. If not, the team would be in trouble.

In the end, the key will be if Griffin can stay on the field and if his knee holds up.

Now, Browns fans will have a chance to see if Richardson can develop into a Pro Bowler, along with how Weeden performs with a new coaching staff. Schwartz is a solid choice, but the keys to the 2012 draft are Richardson and Weeden.