Cleveland Browns: Determining a successful 2016 for RG3

Robert Griffin III is likely to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and will be looking to prove he is still a top quarterback in the NFL.

A sense of stability is finally beginning to surround the Cleveland Browns after so many years of being a dysfunctional franchise.

Hue Jackson has yet to coach a single game for the Browns, but his attitude and belief in his players is a great sign as he leads a young team in 2016.

But this is Cleveland, so everyone wants to know who will be the starting quarterback to open the season.

Jackson has yet to name one, but it sure seems like Robert Griffin III is set to be the starter in Week 1. He has done and said all the right things since joining the Browns, and is the most talented quarterback on the roster.

With the relatively low expectations for this team in 2016, it begs the question: What makes 2016 a successful season for Griffin?

One thing would be for Griffin to stay healthy and start all 16 games for the Browns. He has never started a full slate of games in his four-year career, due to both injuries and being kept on the bench by his coaches in Washington.

His rookie year in 2012 was his best season in the NFL, but he missed a game versus the Browns that year because of injury, and famously hobbled around in a playoff loss against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Playing all 16 games would also help give the offense some continuity, as Tim Couch was the last Browns quarterback to start all 16 games in a season when he did so in 2001.

Playing every game would help with the development of the rookie wide receivers, while also setting up a solid foundation heading into 2017.

In terms of wins, Griffin will not be held entirely accountable for the final record this team ends up with this season. It is known this team is undergoing a rebuild, so another four through six-win season may be the end result.

But if Griffin can lead this team to seven or eight wins, the season would be considered a major success, while Griffin would be the easy choice as the starter for the 2017 season.

Wins should not be the one determinant for his success in 2016, but he cannot go out there and lose every game. Even for a rebuilding team, that is not acceptable as an NFL team. As long as he gets four or more, there will be something to build on for a team already not expected to do much this year.

The main thing Griffin needs to do is just stay healthy. After watching Josh McCown get injured on the first drive of the 2015 season, the importance of stability at the quarterback position became clearer than ever.

Hue Jackson has great job security right now, but if that is to last for several seasons he will need to show that he can come in and develop whoever plays at the quarterback position into a player who will be the face of this franchise for years to come.

Next: Hue Jackson not ready to name starting QB

His current project is Robert Griffin III, who has the potential to be a great player and prove to everyone why he still deserves respect as a starting quarterback in the NFL.