With a dire need at quarterback, the Cleveland Browns finally have no shortage of answers for 2018. The question becomes, which move is best.
The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback. That’s not debatable. How they go about getting one however is. They currently own the No. 1 and No. 4 overall selections, which means they could have their pick of the incoming class.
They could also take a skill position player at No. 1 and see who is still on the board with the fourth pick.
Of course, them passing on a quarterback could lead to a land rush of teams trying to move up to spots two and three for a franchise guy. If they go the waiting route, it could be feasible that someone like Josh Allen of Wyoming or Baker Mayfield could be sitting there waiting to be picked. Then again so could Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold since scouts are all over the map on which of these guys is the best at the position.
While either draft scenario could net them a legitimate starter, it’s not the only option for new general manager John Dorsey and the Browns. This offseason, there will be a couple big names hitting the open market, as well as a few other viable options available via trade. Let’s examine each of those options.
Free Agency
The Browns could simply sit back and see what happens with a couple players in regards to the free agency market. A.J. McCarron is one name to watch, knowing that he almost was a member of the team and is reportedly a favorite of head coach Hue Jackson.
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After agreeing to terms on a deal for McCarron at the trade deadline, the Cincinnati Bengals reserve stayed put thanks to a paperwork mishap. He’s now fighting to become a free agent, and if he is able to do so, the Browns may again be interested. Then again, that was the old regime, so this new front office may not bat an eyelash should McCarron become available.
Dorsey and assistant general manager Eliot Wolf don’t have to settle on McCarron though. There’s also Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenum, both part of the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. Bridgewater was of course a first-round pick, but doubts about him returning to the field surfaced after a gruesome leg injury back in 2015.
He was replaced by Sam Bradford and then Keenum. While Bradford is also a free agent, his injury history is too much to even consider. Bridgewater may not have the extended injury history of Bradford, but hasn’t played since 2016, which makes him too big of a gamble.
Keenum on the other hand is the best of their bunch, and should he hit the open market, could be worth a look. He’s durable, smart and coming off his best season ever with 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns against just seven picks.
Still, the best option out of any free agents has to be Kirk Cousins. After his team let all their good receivers leave, Cousins became the first player in Washington Redskins history to throw for more than 4,000-yards in three-straight seasons.
Despite his work, the Redskins were reluctant to give him a long-term deal and instead struck a deal for Alex Smith recently. With Cousins sure to hit the open market, Cleveland has to get him on a plane and in the building for a visit as soon as legally possible and make sure he never leaves. They may overpay for him, but think of what a legitimate NFL quarterback can do with a team that’s about to pull in 12 players on the 2018 NFL Draft for him to work with.
Trade Route
There’s always the option of trading for a player as well. We all saw how quickly Alex Smith went from man on the outs to the new quarterback for the Washington Redskins. There now could be others on the move.
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Should the Browns fail to get Cousins, he could in a sense get the ball rolling on player movement. If he signs in Miami, the Dolphins would have no more need for Ryan Tannehill. Same with Blake Bortles in Jacksonville — although the Jaguars have said they want to go another season with Bortles at the helm.
Another potential player to trade for is set to play in Super Bowl LII. Nick Foles proved to be a gamer after filling in for an injured Carson Wentz and guided the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. Despite that, he’s not the long-term answer in the City of brotherly Love, and could potentially be pried away.
Cousins could also end up in Denver, which could possibly make 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch and even Trevor Siemian available. Neither seem to be great options, but there’s nothing wrong with kicking the tires.
In all honesty, the best option if the team were to trade would probably be one of the guys mentioned above. If McCarron loses his hearing this month and is a restricted free agent, Jackson could very well convince the team to re-explore the failed trade.
What is the best option?
Plain and simple, the answer to the question of what option is best is this — no one knows. There’s no sure thing in the draft, and the Browns have been burnt in that department more than any team in recent memory.
Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel were all busts for them as first-round picks and that could make them gun shy about picking a player despite having the No. 1 choice.
So, for the sake of argument, let’s say that acquiring a veteran is the best route. Now it’s which avenue do they use? Someone like McCarron who knows the system thanks to his time with Jackson in Cincinnati? Makes sense, but his sample size is so small that it makes it hard to buy in.
Then there’s Kirk Cousins, coming off his third-straight huge statistical season. He could be a viable starter, has several years left and reports are he would consider the Browns as a destination, which is always nice to hear.
Putting on the GM hat leads us to the conclusion that Cleveland should put all their chips on the table in an effort to convince Cousins to come to town. He’s the best option of all the players currently in the NFL that could be had, and still has enough gas in the tank to be worthy of pursuit.
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If they fail to land him, then option No. 2 has to be drafting the best quarterback with their first pick — but it would be much better to use those premium picks on special players to help their new franchise signal caller turn this team around. This season they have to get it right, and Cousins would be right.