Cleveland Browns: Brock Osweiler’s odd time in Cleveland

Brock Osweiler joined the Cleveland Browns as an extra piece in a trade, but his time here was filled with enough ups and downs to make it memorable.

It was hard to be too surprised when news broke Friday that Brock Osweiler was set to be released by the Cleveland Browns. But man, does that $16 million guaranteed still sting.

Osweiler was never in the team’s long-term plans, and it was hard to see him in the short-term plans either. Keeping him beyond 2017 would mean picking up the remainder of his foolish contract, so it was clear he was here for one year at most.

There were positives to keeping him, such as his experience, but his presence didn’t fit into the model of rebuilding that has seen the front office value young talent over veterans and their experience.

Osweiler’s name will never be added to the long list of starting quarterbacks since 1999, but his time in Cleveland may pop up on some future trivia questions. And even though he never played in a regular season game, his time here had its up and downs.

He still believes he can start and may end up on another team now that the Browns are paying his 2017 salary, but him believing he can start doesn’t mean other teams have the same confidence in the quarterback.

Browns fans don’t have to worry about Osweiler anymore, but I do want to take a look back at his interesting few months in a Browns uniform.