Cleveland Browns: Too early to discuss a starting QB
The Cleveland Browns held a minicamp Tuesday which saw both Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown take first-team reps at quarterback.
The 2016 NFL Draft is just over a week away. While the front office works the phones to look for any potential trades, players and coaches alike are currently at a voluntary minicamp.
Robert Griffin III is in attendance and split first-team reps with Josh McCown on Tuesday. There are those who may look into this situation as the beginning of a quarterback competition, but it is only April.
Head Coach Hue Jackson was right to split the reps between Griffin and McCown, and probably did not think the decision began any competition or controversy. The goal of the minicamp is to get the players back into a football focus and, for some, back into football shape.
It is just nice to see both Griffin and McCown healthy at this point in time. The talk of who will be the starter will become a much more relevant topic one training camp starts this summer.
That is true not only because of how early in the year it is, but also because of the fact the Browns may select a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
The Los Angeles Rams trading up to the top pick likely signals either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz being taken, but one would still be left for the Browns with the second overall pick. But even if the Browns don’t select a quarterback at No. 2 or decide to trade down, a quarterback can still be taken at any other point in the draft.
Trading down opens up the possibility of going after Memphis’ Paxton Lynch in the first round, or even someone like Stanford’s Kevin Hogan later on in the draft.
Next: Cleveland Browns draft profile: Paxton Lynch
The uncertainty surrounding who will even be on the roster at the quarterback position when training camp rolls around makes Griffin and McCown splitting first-team reps nothing more than Jackson giving both players a chance to wear off the rust by taking reps with the offense’s most skilled players.
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There is the chance that McCown could be traded if the team does indeed select a quarterback at any point in the draft, although it would be much more beneficial to the rookie if McCown was kept on the roster to serve as a mentor.
More speculation about who will be the starting quarterback will be appropriate once the draft concludes. Then talks of the annual quarterback controversy can start again.