5 options at QB if Cleveland Browns lose Baker Mayfield to injury in 2020
By Randy Gurzi
4. Give Garrett Gilbert a shot
Case Keenum isn’t the only backup on the Cleveland Browns roster right now. They also still have Garrett Gilbert who spent last season as the primary backup to Baker Mayfield. Gilbert was originally a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2014 but then bounced from team to team for a few seasons before finally getting on the field in 2018 for the Carolina Panthers.
He threw just three passes, completing two for 40 yards. Then, he got a chance to make a name for himself, which he did, as a member of the Orlando Apollos of the short-lived Alliance of American Football.
Gilbert led that league in passing yards and passer ratings, which was enough to get him signed by the Browns. In the preseason, he played well as he threw three touchdowns with no interceptions. For the regular season, he ended up attempting just three passes, completing none of them.
Arm talent has never been a question for Gilbert, who was one of the more decorated high school players in the state of Texas when he committed to the Longhorns. He won multiple awards including the 2008 Mr. Texas Football honor as well as the USA Today Offensive Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, he never made good on his promise for the Longhorns but after transferring to SMU he started to again show his talent off. Perhaps if he got a shot, he would prove to be more than capable of filling in for Mayfield. We won’t know for sure until he gets such an opportunity though and teams are reluctant to trust unproven players when other options are available.