Browns: A quarterback controversy that we don’t hate

There seems to always be a quarterback controversy in Cleveland, but the latest one for the Browns really isn’t all that bad

There always seems to be a quarterback controversy in Cleveland.

Right?

But we have quarterback Baker Mayfield as our Cleveland Browns starting quarterback. What controversy?

Are you trying to start something?

I know, you’re like “look, we have our franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Stop trying to create stuff!”

This isn’t about Mayfield, as I’ve shared many times before, in my previous posts, he’s our franchise quarterback and I hope he plays out his entire career here in Cleveland.

This is about the other conversation starter recently, that when you pose the idea, some like to shut that thought down immediately and not consider all the pieces that could honestly lead to a different type of controversy involving our backup quarterbacks to Mayfield, specifically Case Keenum and Kyle Lauletta.

The shutdown of a potential debate on the matter usually begins with the premise that they (those that support Keenum) think the idea of a controversy between Keenum and Lauletta is nonexistent to begin with. They’ll argue Keenum is the guy, because he’s buddies with Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and followed his way down to Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings a year ago when Stefanski took the head coaching job after having been an assistant coach with the Vikings.

The argument continues with the usual response that Keenum is the veteran and has been around the league many years and is “old reliable!” The skewed angle view usually is followed up with pointing to the fact that the other quarterback in this supposed competition, has only played on NFL practice squads in his entire, yet brief, three-year career.

I hear you loud and clear.

However, do you remember when you were super young and we were just out of high school or college and you went to find a job, and the employer would say that you didn’t have enough experience and thus you didn’t get the job? And you’d come back home and say “Well how am I supposed to get experience at the job if I can’t get that job and gain that experience?”

It was very frustrating. Do you remember?

So as we were saying, there might not seem to be a controversy for the Browns backup quarterback role? But how do you gain that experience without getting the gig to begin with?

What Lauletta did on the field the other week down in Jacksonville against the Jaguars was impressive. Yes, he played against many backups and players that will likely be cut from their opposing teams’ rosters by the close of preseason football. But he’s a very talented and confident athlete.

If I’m a competitor, I’m trying to win every battle, every competition. There can be a lot of noise on the outside, but that drive and dedication to one’s craft is what separates NFL players from the less talented and didn’t make it to this point.

If you believe Lauletta doesn’t believe he should be back up quarterback in Cleveland, then you might be surprised to know he likely thinks that he should be the Browns starting quarterback as well. That’s why they play the game.

Here are three reasons why we should all consider the possibility of a quarterback battle for the backup role.