3 Quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns could target ahead of NFL Trade Deadline

Leave it to the Cleveland Browns to start out 4-2 while still having plenty of drama. A two-game winning streak should be enough for them to feel good about their start to the season but unfortunately, it's all been overshadowed by questions about the quarterback.

Deshaun Watson, who was added in a blockbuster trade and signed to a fully guaranteed $230 million deal, missed two games with a rotator cuff strain but returned in Week 7. That comeback lasted just five passes as he went to the sideline following a hard hit.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game he was protecting his quarterback when he made the call to keep him on the sideline but it was clear the shoulder was still a problem. And now after their win over Indianapolis, all he will say is that Watson is "day-to-day."

Behind Watson is P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson who have each struggled. Should the injury linger, the Browns might want to consider making a move before the NFL Trade Deadline — and Stefanski should be pushing for this since he will be the sacapegoat of the season goes south.

With that being said, here are three signal-callers the Browns could try and land.

3. Jacoby Brissett, Washington Commanders

The easiest answer seems to be the most popular. During the Week 7 win, and after, fans were clamoring for the return of Jacoby Brissett. Currently with the Washington Commanders, Brissett was the starter for 11 games in 2022 and performed well.

Cleveland elected not to re-sign him and he's now serving as the backup to Sam Howell. Perhaps they would like a reunion now, similar to how they changed their minds earlier this season after passing on bringing back Kareem Hunt.

Of course, the one hold-up here would be Washington being willing to deal. Brissett is the only backup on the active roster and only Jake Fromm is on the practice squad. Still, it could be worth a call and it's not as if it would take Brissett long to get the playbook down since he already knows much of it.

2. Will Grier, New England Patriots

It wasn't that long ago the New England Patriots were reportedly considering starting Will Grier, although they were also considering rolling with Malik Cunningham. Mac Jones was struggling mightily and the offense was trending in the wrong direction.

They do have Bailey Zappe but apparently weren't sold on him either. Now heading into Week 8, things feel different. Jones had his best game of the year and led the Pats to a win over the Buffalo Bills. They're now 2-5 and are likely sticking with Jones but could also be ready to add more draft capital.

That's why it would make sense to see if they would be willing to swing a deal sending Grier to Cleveland in exchange for a late-round pick. If so, he could prove to be an improvement over P.J. Walker.

Grier has only appeared in two games in his career, both back in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers. He threw for 228 yards with no touchdowns and four picks but recently spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and was vastly improved from the player we saw in Carolina.

He was let go after the Cowboys traded for Trey Lance but had a farewell game to remember. Grier threw for 305 yards with two touchdown passes and added two rushing touchdowns as well.

Afterward, Grier said he was motivated to prove himself following the trade and Mike McCarthy called it the best preseason performance he's seen this century.

DTR is a cautionary tale on taking the preseason too seriously but Grier has been in the league for a while and has been well liked everywhere he went. Perhaps it's time to see if he can step up when given the reins.

1. Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons

Undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2015, Taylor Heinicke started his career with the Minnesota Vikings, which was during Kevin Stefanski's tenure with the team. Heinicke wound up bouncing around the NFL, eventually making his way to Carolina. He had a stint in the XFL and re-joined his former coach with the Panthers, Ron Rivera, in Washington where he wound up starting 24 games over the next three seasons.

Heinicke led The Football Team (should have kept that name) to a 12-11-1 record while throwing for 33 touchdowns and 21 picks. He added another 431 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as he continually earned the trust and respect of his teammates due to his toughness.

He also had a great performance in the playoffs following the 2020 campaign when he had to start for an injured Alex Smith. Facing off against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he threw for 305 yards in a 31-23 loss that was much closer than expected.

This year, Heinicke signed with the Atlanta Falcons and is serving as the backup to Desmond Ridder. Atlanta is committed to letting Ridder develop and might be willing to move on from Heinicke. Behind him is Logan Woodside, who isn't as good as Heinicke but has a history with Arthur Smith, so he could feel comfortable moving him up the depth chart in order to add a day-three pick.

He's not a long-term starter but there's no denying he would be an upgrade for this Cleveland offense and could keep them in the AFC North race.

Again, the ideal scenario would be Watson returning to health but considering he just had an MRI on Monday, it might be time to look for an alternative option.

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