Cleveland Browns: Storylines to watch vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Robert Griffin III will be making his first regular season start since December 28, 2014. There is a lot to prove for Griffin who has been given a big opportunity by the Browns to reinvent himself in Cleveland. Griffin put together a solid showing throughout training camp and the preseason in which he secured the starting quarterback job and was voted a team captain by his teammates.

Griffin addressed being named a team captain earlier this week:

"“I’m extremely happy, not satisfied but happy with where I am, the opportunity that has been blessed upon me and being here with these guys is truly a blessing. I can’t speak enough about how this locker room has been awesome. I’ve been able to grow as a player and as a leader in this locker room.”"

While Griffin works to prove himself on the field he has had the support and confidence from early in the summer. As soon as Griffin arrived in Cleveland he admittedly took charge and got his teammates to buy into the culture change Hue Jackson was implementing. For Griffin to win the trust of his teammates was a leap in the right direction for changing the fortunes of his career and the Browns organization. But Griffin now must earn it each and every week on the field while staying durable.

The former Rookie of the Year flashed promising signs throughout the preseason as his deep ball was in elite form, connecting with Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor multiple times.

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The two biggest questions for RG3 this season will be his health and his ability to stay in and work from the pocket. Griffin has tremendous athletic ability and has attributed a large amount of his early career success to plays outside the pocket on play-action, bootlegs and scrambles. For Griffin to be the long-term solution at the Browns’ quarterback problem he must prove early on the ability to work through multiple progressions while standing in the pocket comfortably. Griffin has elite arm talent and has the physical traits to be a top quarterback in the league.

However, in Coach Jackson’s new scheme, Griffin will be asked to read defenses quickly and deliver the ball accurately to the Browns’ playmakers. Additionally, Griffin can’t afford to be sidelined this season with injury. The quarterback has spent too much of his young career sidelined by injury and will need to play in almost all 16 games for the Browns to get a full evaluation on him for the future. Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown spoke to reporters on Thursday endorsing their quarterback heading into the season,

"“We will develop him over time. He’s under contract here two years, but we don’t look at it as certainly just a two-year venture or a week-to-week venture. This is something we’re going to have to stick by him, put the right pieces around him and help him learn how to play that position as well. So it’s not a short-term kind of look at him.”"

The front office has a plan in place to develop Griffin and surround him with offensive playmakers to maximize his potential. The Browns have the best group of playmakers around their quarterback since 2007.

Their playmaking core will feature rookie wide out Corey Coleman, along with Terrelle Pryor, Josh Gordon and Pro Bowl tight end Gary Barnidge. However, for Griffin to be the long-term answer for this team his ability to be successful in the pocket and stay on the field will make or break his tenure in Cleveland. Proving this starts Sunday in a favorable matchup for the team in Philadelphia.

Next: Rookies everywhere