Discussing the Browns quarterback options

The offseason has lent itself to discussions about the most important topics for the 2017 Cleveland Browns to correct. Organizational construction and The Plan have already been dissected. Next up is figuring out the quarterback situation alongside potential options.

Michael Bode: With the Superbowl in our rear view mirror, it is time to discuss more important things. Such as Teen Wolf being an incredibly over-rated movie. Naw, it is back to the quarterback situation with our beloved Cleveland Browns.

Tom Brady is looking as great as ever, so the New England Patriots trading Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason seems obvious. What is the highest bid you would be comfortable making for Jimmy-G and what type of confidence do you have in him being “the answer” to the Browns long-running issues under center?

Craig: First of all, I outsource my confidence in Jimmy-G to people who should know better. Of all the criticisms and concerns I have about the Browns, I actually do trust Hue Jackson in terms of the quarterback position. Say what you want about Cody Kessler, but Hue Jackson turned out to be more right about him when he asked for trust. Unfortunately for Browns fans, it doesn’t appear that Kessler is the next Third Round NFL QB sensation like Russel Wilson, but it does appear the Browns at least have a backup and potential spot starter in Kessler, if not a bit more. Point being, if the Browns and Hue Jackson like Jimmy Garoppolo, you have to trust them a bit.

Presuming the Browns do want to trade for him, I can’t imagine trading anything higher than the 33rd pick. I can see the Browns including additional picks along with the 33rd, but I hope it’s not higher than a 5. I think 33 is a really valuable pick and you have to think the Browns would be getting a player better than that draft slot. Certainly they have more tape and research on the guy than what they’d have on any available player at 33 out of NCAA.

The issue for New England in trying to garner maximum value is that any team that trades for Jimmy-G is going to have to pay him. That should work to the Browns’ favor when in the last year of his deal they give him something similar to what Brock Osweiler got from Houston. Osweiler got four years and $72 million, but it’s basically a two-year deal for $37 million with two option years around $20 million each. If Garoppolo can play better than Osweiler the Browns will be happy to pay, but that price tag keeps the Pats’ draft compensation a little bit lower than either the first or twelfth overall picks I think.

Michael: First, there is the contract. Since Jimmy-G is in the last year of his rookie deal, I do believe the Patriots will allow teams to negotiate with his agent so that they can maximize his trade value. Osweiler had seven starts and over 300 pass attempts before reaching free agency, so I think Garoppolo’s contract would be a smidge less. Close enough for the comparison, and I agree that no pick higher than No. 33 should be considered to acquire him (maybe a 2018 pick with performance escalators can be utilized too if they want higher than a fifth round paired with it).

Even more interesting is what is happening with Osweiler’s former and current team.

The Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round to presumably replace him. Instead, Trevor Siemian beat him out for the job, and Lynch looked bad in the two starts when Denver needed him. Perhaps the Broncos are slowly developing Lynch as a long-term answer, but the early results are not encouraging.

The Texans signed Osweiler to be the presumptive starter, but there were reports during Training Camp that Tom Savage was outplaying him. Osweiler’s poor season did not help him win many fans, which led to a call for the backup. Was Savage good? Well, there were some positive factors, but he also received a whole bunch of praise for someone that has never thrown a touchdown pass (Texans barely beat the Jaguars and Bengals with somewhat middling offensive games in his two most complete outings).

You mention trusting Jackson to pick the quarterback due to Kessler. I agree that he came as advertised. He’s a solid NFL backup with great accuracy. There is a question of if he can develop into more, but the Browns obviously cannot ignore attempts to improve the position (even if they don’t find a fit to do so). The upcoming NFL Draft is thought to have either three or four quarterbacks in the top tier with none having achieved “elite prospect” status. There are going to be numerous rankings of these players because they all have significant strengths to pair with obvious flaws.

If the Browns don’t trade for Jimmy-G, do you believe the Browns need to find a way to draft one of these four players (DeShone Kizer, Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes)? And, if so, is there a particular player or skillset from thsi group that you prefer?

Craig: The Browns are lost as a team until they figure out some kind of long-term answer at quarterback. That said, I have no idea what they think about any of those quarterbacks. We know they drafted Kessler and apparently didn’t think enough of Carson Wentz to pick him a year ago. Other than that, it’s hard to get much of a read on the Browns and how they evaluate quarterbacks. Hue Jackson has a bit of a record, but trying to get a read on Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta, not to mention Andrew Berry is close to impossible. Plus, the Browns are a team that needs, you know, everything, so it’s difficult.

From my limited ability as a scout I like Kizer the best. I like Kizer the best because of his interviews as I’ve mentioned before. A big factor in being an NFL quarterback is having attitude and maturity to lead a team. Not all successful quarterbacks lead the same way, but I think almost all of them are leaders in some way. When you look at that candidates, Kizer sticks out to me.

We’ve seen guys with marginal maturity – Derek Anderson up close, but also guys like Jay Cutler and even RG3 in Washington – and it always seems to rear its ugly head. Even the best physical gifts are eventually overtaken by an inability to handle leading a team during imperfect circumstances. I know this is wishy washy analysis with a lot of anecdotal evidence, but Kizer earned a lot of bonus points with me for how he handled himself during a miserable Notre Dame season.

That said, Daniel Jeremiah recently reported that he “couldn’t find a scout or executive who was excited about DeShone Kizer or Mitch Trubisky.” That’s not to say they won’t get drafted highly or won’t succeed in the NFL, but it is a little scary as an outsider looking in.

Michael: It is important to take in the context of that Jeremiah report. It was all about how none of the quarterbacks in this class are receiving the buzz that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz got last year. He was mentioning Watson was believed to be a late-first or early-second round pick type of quarterback, then noting no one was excited about those other two quarterbacks. Mahomes issues with mechanics have been well-covered by many as well.

Take any of those guys in any order, and some team could make a legitimate case for it. The fact that none have separated themselves, shows that none of the guys coming out are worth the No. 1 overall selection. None are probably worth the No. 12 pick either though all might be gone by the No. 33 pick.

It puts the Browns in an interesting bind. They could trade for Jimmy-G with pick No. 33 as the center piece. They could sign Tyrod Taylor (assuming he is cut from the Bills). They could over-draft a quarterback at No. 12 or they could trade back into the back end of the first round. Or, they could just let things fall how they will and take the BPA at every spot. Rely on building the team if they don’t trust any of the quarterbacks to help mask deficiencies elsewhere.

Craig: It’s always an interesting question with quarterbacks. You want to get better as soon as possible as a team, so that leads you to the competent guy who is more proven like either Taylor or Garoppolo. But you always have to wonder if you haven’t set the ceiling on your team somehow by going with someone who is just “good enough.” It feels like it’s been a self-perpetuating problem in Cleveland over the years that has been exacerbated by the constant coaching turnover as well.

I guess at this point my preference would be to do two things so I can have my cake and eat it too. I would try and acquire a guy who improves the position immediately like Tyrod Taylor or Jimmy Garoppolo. I also use any non-first-overall draft strategy to acquire one of the best QB prospects who can work with Hue Jackson and the coaching staff as they build continuity in language and strategy in the Cleveland Browns offense.

I’m just a desperate Browns fan who wants both a short-term and a long-term strategy. I think it’s something the Browns will do too. For all the bickering we’ve done over RG3, Cody Kessler and the 2016 Cleveland Browns quarterback room, there’s no doubting their strategy. They grabbed a guy who had been in the league and done some things. They grabbed a rookie in the draft. They kept a long-time professional backup quarterback. Their real failures in 2016 were in the offensive line getting each of those quarterbacks murdered. And maybe they didn’t get any of the right guys, but the profile was right. A rookie, a long-time veteran and a reclamation veteran who is still relatively young isn’t a bad strategy in theory.

What does everyone else think?