Will Case Keenum be enough for the Cleveland Browns as a backup plan?
The Cleveland Browns are a team that seems very fortunate on paper. They have their starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield and he has a lot of talent around him.
Sure, he and the offense struggled throughout much of last season but there was a lot of blame to hand out there. Most of which fell on the coaching staff for their game plans and the failure of general manager John Dorsey to give Mayfield adequate protection on the offensive line.
Cleveland has hoped to address that this season as they picked up Jack Conklin in free agency and Jedrick Wills in the 2020 NFL Draft to address the line and changed out not only head coach Freddie Kitchens, but also Dorsey as well.
In their places now will be a rookie head coach in Kevin Stefanski and a first-time general manager in Andrew Berry. In addition to correcting their flaws on the line, Berry and Stefanski worked methodically to add depth to their roster — including at the quarterback position.
5. Go with Case Keenum
The most likely scenario is that Cleveland would roll with Case Keenum. He comes over after spending 2019 with the Washington Redskins and 2018 with the Denver Broncos. However, he was the Minnesota Vikings starter for 14 games in 2017 and led them to the NFC Championship Game.
That year, he worked closely with Kevin Stefanski and knows the new Browns coach’s system very well. For that reason, Cleveland gave him a healthy contract to backup Mayfield.
But what if Keenum can’t get it done? While he knows the system, he was 1-7 last season as a starter for Washington and 6-10 the year prior in Denver. In fact, take out his 11-3 run in 2017 and he would be just 16-32 as a starting quarterback.
For that reason, we look at a few other options outside of Keenum should the Browns have to replace Mayfield this season.
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.
3. Call Josh McCown
If the Cleveland Browns were to suddenly find themselves desperate for a quarterback with some experience, they could look to a familiar face in Josh McCown. Of course, it might take some convincing because McCown could very well be done playing — again.
Last season, McCown had announced his retirement and went to the television side as an analyst for ESPN. That didn’t last long as the Philadelphia Eagles gave him a call when they lost Nate Sudfeld and Cody Kessler to injury.
McCown ended up playing a huge role for the Eagles as Carson Wentz was injured in their Wild Card game and the 40-year-old was called into action — in what was his first-ever playoff appearance. McCown delivered a gutsy performance for a team that was low on wide receivers due to injury as well and he completed 18-of-24 passes for 174 yards. Philly lost 17-9, but what was more impressive was McCown tore his hamstring early in the game and kept playing.
Browns fans remember him for being a warrior on the field as McCown was a guy who gave it his all every time he had the ball in his hands. He was 1-10 as the starter for Cleveland from 2015 and 2016 but was good for 3,209 yards with an 18-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Should McCown be called upon this season, he will be someone who can be trusted to give his team a chance to win the game.
2. Trade for Jacoby Brissett
One player who could potentially be available to play quarterback via trade is Jacoby Brissett of the Indianapolis Colts. Brissett was originally a third-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2016 and he was one of the players who was considered a potential heir to Tom Brady’s throne.
That idea ended after just one season as Brissett was traded to the Colts ahead of the 2017 campaign where he was added to replace an injured Andrew Luck. Brissett played well considering how little time he had to adjust to his new team that season, throwing 3,098 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven picks. He added another 260 yards and four touchdowns on the ground but the team was still just 4-11 with him under center.
After backing up Luck in 2018, he returned to a starting role in 2019 when Luck retired. Brissett looked better as he completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards with 18 touchdowns and just six picks.
The problem is, he’s looked to be more of a game manager than a franchise quarterback which is why the Colts signed Philip Rivers in the offseason. They also drafted Jacob Eason out of Washington, which all but guarantees this is the last season Brissett will be with Indy.
For that reason, they could be willing to move him should a team be in need of a capable quarterback. He won’t threaten any jobs but he’s a signal-caller that won’t lose games for a team.
1. Sign Colin Kaepernick
This option would either be a massive hit or a huge disappointment among the fanbase depending on your opinion of Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was once one of the hottest young names in the game as he took his team to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season.
That year, Kaepernick took over for Alex Smith and was nothing short of brilliant for them. He followed that up with two more strong performances but then started to decline in 2015. By 2016, he was 1-10 as a starter but was still performing well with a 16-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
A huge part of the struggles he was going through could have been related to the head coaching changes. Jim Harbaugh left the team and after he was gone Jim Tomsula came in for one season before the 49ers decided to give Chip Kelly a chance.
While all the coaching changes were happening, Kaepernick also started to take a stand against social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem. His decision led to backlash and created one of the biggest controversies in the league which resulted in the president even attacking the NFL.
With the current shift in the political climate, rumors have started to circulate that teams could be interested in bringing Kaepernick back to the league. Of course, feelings about him still create some visceral reactions but for a team, they should only worry about whether or not he can play.
If he can, Kaepernick could be a decent option for a team needing to replace an injured starter.