Browns sign quarterback Drew Stanton to two-year deal
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns have added a veteran presence to the quarterback room after signing Drew Stanton to a two-year deal.
The Cleveland Browns have signed veteran quarterback Drew Stanton to a two-year deal.
While the Browns confirmed the signing on the team’s Twitter feed, Stanton’s agent, Mike McCartney, Tweeted out that his client is coming to town:
Stanton was originally a second-round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent three years with the Lions, making four starts, and completing just 55.6 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions.
After a five-game stint with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012 where he did not appear in a game, Stanton signed with the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent the past four seasons.
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Stanton started eight games in his first season with the Cardinals, posting five wins, but returned to the bench the past three seasons. He did make four starts in 2017, winning three of them, but his struggle to accurately complete a pass is stunning.
His best year in Arizona in that category was his first, when he completed 55 percent of his passes, but then things turn a horrific turn for the worst as the next three years Stanton completed just 44 percent, 39.6 percent and 49.7 percent.
All told, he only completed 51.1 percent of his passes with the Cardinals, a number that causes even former Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer to shake his head.
It is a strange signing that came out of nowhere, as the only reported contact the Browns had with Stanton was a chance meeting last week when general manager John Dorsey, head coach Hue Jackson and the rest of the gang were in California for Sam Darnold’s Pro Day at USC.
The good news is that the Browns are not bringing Stanton in to start this fall, but rather to serve as an insurance policy in case quarterback Tyrod Taylor is injured. If that were to happen, having Stanton on the roster takes the pressure off Jackson to rush the quarterback the Browns are selecting with the No. 1 overall pick onto the field.
It was likely going to happen anyway, but the signing on Stanton likely signals the end of quarterback Cody Kessler’s time with the Browns. The same can probably be said of quarterback Kevin Hogan, who appeared safe because of his ties to Dorsey from their days together with the Kansas City Chiefs, but now may be moving on as the Browns will probably not carry four quarterbacks.
Next: Browns: Josh Allen in play after Pro Day?
Leave it to the Browns to spice up an otherwise slow Sunday evening.