Hue Jackson

Browns head coach Hue Jackson sounds confident that Robert Griffin III can revive his career in Cleveland.

(AP)

BEREA, Ohio -- Watching Hue Jackson and Robert Griffin III at their press conference at Cleveland Browns headquarters Wednesday, I kept thinking, "These guys need each other."

The new coach did an excellent job of explaining why he thinks Griffin can be the new quarterback. Wisely, no promises were made. Griffin has to compete for the job. He has a lot to prove.

I still expect the Browns to draft a quarterback somewhere in the first round -- probably at No. 2. But keep in mind that football analytics tends to favor trades down in the draft to pile up more picks.

Regardless of where they draft, it's safe to assume a rookie quarterback is coming. But what about the new quarterback who is here?

"I'm trying not to let any baggage hold me down," said Griffin. "I have a massive chip on my shoulder. This team has a massive chip on its shoulder."

The same holds true for the new coach. The "chip" is the boulder of doubt that most people have about anything dealing with the Browns.

COMING UP THE HARD WAY

Consider Jackson, who is 50. The man has been a coach for 28 years, and this is his 16th season in the NFL. He started at the bottom as a graduate assistant at Pacific University. He kept climbing the coaching ladder. He never skipped any rungs, and sometimes had to climb the same ones twice.

In 2011, he finally was named head coach and had an 8-8 record with the Oakland Raiders. He was fired after the season because the Raiders ended the season losing four of five. But 8-8 in Oakland is sort of like 8-8 in Cleveland. It shows promise. The Raiders have not reached 8-8 since Jackson left.

Jackson had to wonder, "What did I do so wrong that they couldn't at least give me a second season?" There still is no good answer for that question, especially since the Raiders were 4-12 after he left.

Jackson also served as his own general manager in Oakland, and that probably was his biggest problem as he made some dubious trades. But his ability to lead and motivate men has long been a strength.

STARTING OVER

Jackson had to rebuild his career. He was an assistant special teams coach and assistant defensive secondary coach with the Bengals, as old friend Marvin Lewis created a job for him. It's a humbling position for a guy who was an NFL head coach the prior season.

Jackson became the running backs coach in 2013. Next came offensive coordinator in 2014-15.

Now, he's the head coach of the Browns. If he fails here, will he ever have another chance to be a head coach? Probably not.

So a lot is on the line for Jackson.

THE PHENOM FALLS

Griffin was the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft. He then became Rookie of the Year, beating out Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck. Think about that for a moment.

Then came a major knee injury in the 2012 playoff. He had ACL surgery. It was the second operation on the same knee, the first coming while at Baylor.

He came back too fast, starting the 2013 opener despite not playing any preseason games. The season was a mess, he had a 3-10 record as starter. In 2014, he suffered a dislocated ankle. His record was 2-5.

It was obvious he never was fully healthy in 2013-14. His elite speed and ability to make sharp cuts to evade tacklers was often missing. His confidence sagged, his attitude slumped.

By 2015, he didn't play a snap -- third string. Then he was cut. Few quarterbacks have ever taken such a fast, massive fall.

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CHANCE

Jackson looked at the Browns as a team that really wanted him. He knows most of the NFL either giggles or simply dismisses the front office of Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta. Just what do a former salary cap guy and a baseball executive know about building an NFL team?

Besides, Cleveland is where coaches go to die -- at least in terms of their careers. Jackson will be the fifth head coach in eight years. Who'd want that job?

It's even worse for quarterbacks. Nine have started in the last five years.

"I know the history of Cleveland (and how) guys sometimes don't want to come here," said Griffin. "I wanted to come here."

Griffin knew he had to start fresh.

"Sometimes, you don't get to pick where you play," said Griffin. "I thought about this opportunity ... as a great opportunity to grow with Hue Jackson and (offensive coordinator) Pep Hamilton. I did get a chance to pick so I felt like that was a blessing."

He also might not have had any other real opportunities elsewhere. At least not for the two-year, $15 million ($6.5 million guaranteed) contract given him by the Browns. The only other rumored landing spot was Denver, and the Broncos added Mark Sanchez. They are still looking at Colin Kaepernick, although it's hard to know how seriously.

The Browns talked about a deal with San Francisco for Kaepernick before turning to Griffin, whose market value was almost below sea level.

CAN THERE BE A REVIVAL?

So you have coach who needs a quarterback, and a quarterback who needs a team and a coach who can help him regain what was lost. And it's happening in Cleveland.

Jackson has to believe that even 70 percent of what Griffin was in 2012 is good enough to win some games for the Browns. I asked the coach about Griffin's physical condition, and he said: "He's healthy, no question about that. He's very healthy."

Griffin has been told over and over that Jackson knows how to develop quarterbacks. Expert witnesses such as Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco and Carson Palmer will swear upon their old Jackson playbooks that he is an impact coach.

"I don't think it's just about me reviving his career," said Jackson. "RG3 is going to do the work. My job is to create the environment for him to do the work -- and everything I can do to assist him to be the best he can be."

Will this succeed? Who knows? The Browns and Jackson will have other options. Also on the roster are Josh McCown, Connor Shaw and Austin Davis. They will probably draft a quarterback, too.

But saving Griffin's career could be a franchise changer.

For Griffin, this could be his last real chance to establish himself as a starter. He's only 26, but each year, that 2012 season grows smaller in the rear view mirror of everyone's football memories.