Cleveland Browns: Front office ready to move on from QBs on the roster
The Cleveland Browns are reportedly interested in trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, who would assume the starting role in 2017 if acquired.
The Cleveland Browns continue to be linked to New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017 if a trade brought him to Cleveland.
Trading for Garoppolo would likely eliminate the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft, thus allowing the Browns to focus on other positions in need of improvement.
But the trade would also be bad news for the quarterbacks currently on the roster, all of whom had a chance to start in 2016.
Josh McCown is nearing the end of his career so this doesn’t change much for him, but Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler both may expect a chance to start next season. Griffin opened and closed the season as the starting quarterback, although he showed nothing that would warrant him to own the job in 2017.
Kessler’s story is a bit different, as he played well in his eight starts. The team did not win any of those games, but there were countless factors contributing to that. He was also knocked out of two of those games, so it is hard to judge his play based on the small sample size.
But while Kessler did nothing to lose the chance at competing for the starting job, any new face in town would surely enter as the presumed starter. If that is Jimmy Garoppolo, then there may be no competition at all. If it is a rookie, there may be a semblance of a competition, but the rookie would likely come out on top given the player was taken in the first round.
This time of year is often filled with rumors, especially when it comes to the Browns and quarterbacks, but it would be hard to stick with any of the quarterbacks on the current roster after the 1-15 debacle last season. Not all of it falls on them, but the Browns are in a position to improve at quarterback, and the opportunity must be seized.
Next: Browns mock draft: All defense edition
The front office is not going to come out and say this directly, but investing in a new quarterback says it all.