CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Browns interviewed Robert Griffin III, he said all the right things.

He was humble. He admitted he made some poor decisions. He said he needed to be coached.

Griffin is a smart, polished young man. It's not hard to imagine him knowing exactly what to say and how to say it to impress coaches and football executives.

The Browns were impressed and signed Griffin on March 24.

The biggest challenge for Griffin is "he wants to be great yesterday," as someone close to the situation said.

Griffin is very anxious to prove himself. He is desperate to show he can be a viable starting NFL quarterback.

Griffin has so far made good on his promise to be coachable. He is putting in the time to learn the new offense. He is working hard with head coach Hue Jackson and quarterback coach Pep Hamilton to learn the basics of how they want the position to be played.

His major battle is impatience, wanting everything to come together ... right now!

Over and over, the coaches stress to Griffin "it's going take time."

That's true not only for the 26-year-old quarterback, but for Jackson and his staff to design an offense that fits him.

THREE LITTLE/BIG THINGS

There are a lot nuances to being a quarterback, and the Browns are coaching Griffin in those areas.

But they also have three big messages:

Plant your back foot, then throw. Get down, then slide. Throw the ball away, don't take needless hits from the defense.

The first is throwing from the pocket. Like many physically gifted and quick quarterbacks, Griffin tends to throw off-balance.

For a right-handed quarterback, a huge requirement for throwing a good pass is to plant the back (right foot) in the ground, then throw. Don't just fling the ball without setting your feet.

For much of his career, Griffin was in the shotgun. He threw on the run. No one is trying to turn him into a Dan Marino stand-in-the-pocket quarterback. But he does need those skills.

The get-down-and-slide gospel is being preached over and over to keep him from injuries. He's had two major knee surgeries (2009 and 2012), a dislocated ankle (2014) and a serious concussion (2015).

The good news is Griffin has been healthy, his knee has been strong. Of course, no one is being tackled. Nonetheless, a weak knee can easily buckle in the various drills and practices that happened this spring.

The Browns plan to have Griffin throwing while on the move. But they want him to do just that -- throw the ball. Don't get hit. Slide as the defense approaches. Heave the ball away -- as Griffin did, launching passes over the fence and into some back yards of houses near the Berea training complex.

Here's what I'm hearing about Griffin:

1. He's doing a good job of connecting with his teammates, especially center Cameron Erving. Those two need to work together.

2. He's putting in the time at the facility, doing the homework. He cares about getting things right and knows preparation matters.

3. Jackson knows Griffin is under the hot, unforgiving lights of media scrutiny. He plans to protect his quarterback, giving him time to grow.

4. So you'll hear quotes from the coach such as "RG3 doesn't have any accuracy issues. He doesn't." Well, some practices that was true, and some days that was a problem.

5. At the end of all the minicamps, Jackson said this about Griffin: "He's checking the ball down. He throws the ball down the field. He throws the ball into tight spaces. He's improved. I think we've all seen that. Let's be honest. He has. There's another step. He's just getting better every day... He's talented, but there's still work to be done."

6. Griffin has played only 37 NFL games. He had a monster rookie season in 2012, and it's been mostly frustration and injuries ever since. The Browns point is that he's still young at the age of 26. Rookie Carson Wentz is 23. And really hasn't played that much NFL football.

7. The Browns don't know if Griffin will succeed. But they want to give him a chance. More importantly, Griffin is giving himself a chance by doing all the right things. But the tests are coming in the late summer and fall when what Jackson calls "real football" begins.





ABOUT THE BROWNS:

1. The two most impressive receivers in the practices were Corey Coleman and Andrew Hawkins. The Browns love the energy displayed by Coleman, along with his ability to jump and grab passes when covered tightly. His speed is obvious and exciting to watch.

2. Hawkins is coming back from missing eight games last season due to a concussion and other injuries. He has looked good as a slot receiver.

3. The Browns like rookie Rashard Higgins, but they want 6-foot-1 receiver to gain some weight. He's listed at 198, but looks thinner. He is a possession receiver and needs strength to hang on to those passes over the middle where he'll be hit hard by the defense.

4. Rookie Ricardo Louis is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and has the long arms and legs along with the natural speed of an NFL receiver. The Browns are working on his hands and his route running. He's still very unpolished.

5. Terrelle Pyror has made quite a bit of progress, but the coaches are anxious to see how he performs when the hitting starts. There are times when the former quarterback turned receiver doesn't fight for those passes when covered tightly. Coleman brings tremendous passion to the game. They want the same on every play from Pryor.

6. Pierre Desir has spent some time at safety. The coaches are intrigued and want to see more of him there. Desir was a fourth-round pick in 2014 and exclusively a cornerback in his first two seasons.

7. The coaches are all saying nice things about Justin Gilbert. He has been on time for meetings, etc. But he still has a lot to prove on the field. His roster spot is not secure.

8. Defensive lineman Carl Nassib dealt with the some minor injuries during the OTAs. He didn't play a lot. The coaches like his speed. He's listed at 6-foot-7, 275 pounds. They'd like him to weigh 290. They don't think an extra 15 pounds will impact his speed.

9. A third-rounder from Penn State, Nassib played end in a 4-3 defense. The Browns want to look at him as a tackle in the middle of a 3-4 line -- especially in passing situations.

10. Third-rounder Shon Coleman had knee surgery after his season at Auburn. He didn't play in the OTAs. His recovery is on track and the right tackle should be ready for veterans camp in July. Coleman's injury opened time for fifth-rounder Spencer Drango to play behind veteran Alvin Bailey at right tackle. The coaches have called Drango one of the pleasant surprises of camp.

11. As a rookie in 2015, Ibraheim Campbell looked like he could be a hard-hitting safety. He continued to make progress this spring and is in excellent position to take over as a starter for Donte Whitner.