Cleveland Browns: 2017 season continues a concerning trend
The Cleveland Browns will have yet another new Week 1 starting quarterback, continuing a trend that has to stop sooner than later.
After year in which a broken Robert Griffin III was declared the Week 1 starter, things are looking a little better for the Cleveland Browns.
Hue Jackson is currently deciding between Brock Osweiler and DeShone Kizer for the starting job, although Osweiler is the favorite, meaning there will be another new Week 1 starting quarterback for the Browns. This is obvious, but becomes more of a concerning fact when realizing how often this situation is the case.
The last quarterback to start two season openers in a row was the great Brandon Weeden, who started in both 2012 and 2013. Since then, the team has seen Brian Hoyer, Josh McCown and Griffin III open seasons, with Osweiler likely to join that list on September 10.
I’m not sure if it’s due to memory loss or warranted wishing, but things feel different this year. Not in the sense that I think Osweiler is going to lead this team to the promised land, but there seems to be more stability in the sense that the front office built up the rest of the team and didn’t place the franchise’s hopes in the hands of someone like Griffin III or even Weeden.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
- 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target
The quarterback position remains a fluid one, but the front office at least went out and got a quarterback with playoff experience. Hate Osweiler all you want, which is fair for the most part, but he will be the best Week 1 starter this team has had in quite some time. That’s not necessarily a good thing, but it’s true.
The front office also brought in a rookie with a high ceiling in Kizer, who is clearly being groomed for some starting action.
And while some Browns fans may already be calling for a tanked season to draft Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, this team doesn’t appear destined for a 1-15 or 2-14 season. Leave that to the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
The Browns are in a unique situation as it appears unlikely the team will pick up the rest of Osweiler’s monster contract after the season, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a future here if he comes out and has a career resurgence. And if he stinks, Kizer will get his shot.
So even though the team may have yet another Week 1 starter in 2018, at least there are some capable candidates in town this year to stake a claim to holding down the job.
Next: Top 30 moments in Browns history
It is hard to imagine anyone believed McCown or Griffin III had any real futures with the team, so at least the front office has given us some players who aren’t on their last legs. That should never be the case with an NFL team, but it is all about baby steps with the Browns.