BEREA (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns have a plan to finally stop the merry-go-round at quarterback.
We think.
But what that plan is exactly remains a mystery.
“You do know that obviously the teams that have great quarterbacks seem to perennially be in the playoffs and having a chance to win championships, but there is a scarcity, as well,” Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said Wednesday afternoon. “You don’t want to force it.”
Since the team returned in 1999, the Browns have been unable to solve the problem and it has led to 14 double-digit loss seasons and just 1 playoff appearance in 18 years.
Brown was unwilling to provide any specifics about how they plan to find their guy as he and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry previewed the upcoming NFL Draft, but he did narrow the options down – they won’t be trading for a veteran within the next 10 days.
“Could we in theory? Yes, but are we planning on it or is that the plan? No,” Brown said.
So I guess that rules out the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo. Brown did say he doesn’t have the Patriots on speed dial.
“We do not,” Brown said.
After starting 26 different quarterbacks since 1999, including using 5 QBs just to get through a miserable 1-15 season in 2016, as of Wednesday afternoon a Brock Osweiler – Cody Kessler training camp showdown is on the horizon.
“We expect Brock to be here,” Brown said. “He’s in, done a good job coming in the first couple days. Positive young man. He’s got some ability and talent and we look forward to him trying to establish himself here and have a chance to compete to be the starting quarterback.”
Osweiler, who is attending the offseason workout program which began this week and was acquired from the Houston Texans on March 10, has gone from no future in Cleveland to now apparently getting a training camp invite with a chance to be the starter.
Kessler was selected in the third round – No. 93 overall – last year and he started 8 games last season but left 2 of those starts after suffering a concussion.
More than likely the Browns will simply turn to the draft next week for their next project in the hopes of finding their franchise player and there are a lot of options but no real consensus as to who the best QB this year is.
Mentor, Ohio native Mitchell Trubisky is atop many fans’ wish lists but what do the Browns think of a kid that started just 13 games in college after sitting for 3 years?
“A positive young man, bright, very competitive and brings kind of a lunchbox, blue-collar mentality to the position,” Brown said. “We were impressed by him.”
The Browns don’t seem too concerned that the pressure of being a local product and playing quarterback for the Browns would be a problem for the North Carolina QB.
“I think Mitch seems to be a pretty mature kid,” Brown said. “All the quarterbacks were – [DeShone] Kizer, [Deshuan] Watson, [Patrick] Mahomes, Davis [Webb] who we had down at the Senior Bowl – all of them really mature young men and I think would handle themselves well, whether they were in their home environment or they were on the road.”
Cleveland has visited with the 5 prospects but they all appear to be projects.
Can the Browns afford spend a first- or high-round draft pick on a project or will they simply go with players that can have an immediate impact?
“We can do both, and we will have a mind to both,” Brown said. “I think the guys that can come in and impact right away typically are the guys you just have more certainty about. The two go hand in hand, but we consider that, certainly.”
Without a definitive plan or clear cut solution, the Browns will continue spinning their wheels and of course keep losing.
