Cleveland Browns: Trevor Siemian, affordable alternative to McCarron

If free agent A.J. McCarron is looking for big money, the Cleveland Browns could save money and get Trevor Siemian as an affordable bridge quarterback

With the offseason moving along, the debate about what the Cleveland Browns should do at quarterback continues. Really, the smart move is simple — draft the best quarterback at No. 1 overall. The debate about who that is will still live on, but that’s for the front office to decide.

Another thing they have to decide is if they want to roll with that young guy and DeShone Kizer as the main options. Another option is to get a veteran that can either give them a solid backup, or possibly start for a year as their young players work on becoming more complete quarterbacks.

One name thrown out ever since winning his free agency a couple weeks ago is A.J. McCarron. The Cincinnati Bengals backup has a big fan in head coach Hue Jackson, and the Browns even had a trade in place for him at the deadline that fell through.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

The problem now is McCarron could be in line to get paid a lot of money. Some have even suggested he could net just under $20 million a season. That’s a lot of money for a guy with three regular season and one post season start to his name.

There are other options though, especially if the main goal is to have the veteran hold a clipboard. One available signal caller that could help is Trevor Siemian of the Denver Broncos. According to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, Siemian should be available and rather affordable via trade.

"“As for Siemian, he’s not about to drum up a storm of demand on the open market. A late-round pick should do the trick, but it’s just as likely the former starter is released. Last year’s meltdown aside, Siemian would make for a reliable backup if he can stay healthy.” — Sessler, NFL.com"

Sessler does point out that Siemian hit a rough patch in 2017, but it’s not like Cleveland would be hoping for him to be a franchise guy. At most, Siemian could be a one-year starter while someone like Sam Darnold — a favorite of many to go No. 1 — works on his mechanics.

For his career, Siemian has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 5,686 yards with 30 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He’s also gone 13-11 as a starter.

Next: Can Tyrod Taylor be the bridge QB the Browns need?

None of those numbers are earth-shattering, but Siemian is a game manager that can play decent football in spurts. Most importantly, he won’t cost the kind of money that McCarron would, and you at least know what you’re getting.

Home/Browns News