4 emergency quarterbacks Browns can target following Deshaun Watson news

1. Joe Flacco

Sometimes the most obvious options are the best options. That's the case here as no pending free agent would make more sense for the Browns to sign than Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old quarterback just won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award for the work he did in Cleveland in place of Deshaun Watson this past season.

Flacco, who was signed in November after Watson was placed on IR, started five games and led the Browns to a 4-1 mark. His first start was a loss to the Los Angeles Rams but for the next four games, he was absolutely on fire, leading Cleveland to four wins in a row while securing the No. 5 seed in the AFC.

The veteran finished the year with 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. He did have eight interceptions, which proved to be an issue in the playoffs when he threw two pick-sixes against Houston while trying to mount a comeback. Of course, the turnovers could be limited in 2024 since he would have more familiarity with his pass-catchers than he did this year due to the late arrival.

Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry has said he would love to have Flacco back but also stated that there's a lot that goes into these decisions. This led to a belief that Flacco could be gone with the Browns unwilling to pay what another team might. That could change if the Browns believe there's any chance the reports from Florio hold weight. If so, their willingness to pay Falcoo might have become much stronger.

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