Sashi Brown: Cody Kessler will compete to be starting QB
Cleveland Browns VP of Football Operations Sashi Brown made it clear that Cody Kessler will have a shot at the starting quarterback spot in 2016.
The Cleveland Browns and quarterback competitions are two things that have gone hand in hand since 1999.
Competition is good for a team as it should, in theory, make everyone work harder, but it would be nice for the Browns to have a solidified starter before training camp begins this summer.
The Browns seemed to be set to have either Robert Griffin III or Josh McCown be the starter this year, with Griffin being the early favorite, but another name was added to the list.
#Browns Sashi Brown: 'Cody Kessler is not a guy I'd sleep on'
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 1, 2016
Sashi Brown on Browns QB situation: "This is going to be a competition."
— Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) May 1, 2016
The selection of Cody Kessler by the Browns in the third round did not seem like a big deal at the time. Kessler would be the third-string quarterback from the start and learn under both Griffin and McCown.
But Brown’s comments seem to suggest otherwise. It looks like Kessler will indeed be given an opportunity to start, but that does not mean it will be much of a competition.
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Brown is saying all the right things right now. He did the smart thing and said anyone can win the job as opposed to putting Kessler down and saying he has no chance at earning the position.
This will give confidence to the young quarterback, and also prevents Griffin or McCown from being locked into the starting role early on. If one of them was named the starter in the spring and played poorly in training camp, there would be talk of replacing either with whoever was named the backup originally.
And even though it is being called a competition, Griffin seems to be the favorite right now, which may mean he receives the most first-team reps throughout training camp.
Kessler was somewhat of a surprise pick by the Browns, and it would be an even bigger surprise if he started a game in 2016. The only way that should happen would be if Griffin and McCown both went down with injuries, although their respective histories along with that of the Browns make this a somewhat likely outcome.