QB Reboot in Cleveland: Browns Consider Radical Change at Quarterback This Offseason

If there is one thing that should be abundantly clear to everyone by now, it is that the Cleveland Browns will have a completely different quarterback room next season.

There is not a single NFL-caliber starter on the roster right now, and they will be tasked with finding one that should hopefully get this team back on the right track. But how should the team approach the most important position in sports in what is undoubtedly the most crucial offseason in recent memory?

Cleveland’s free agent activity in this area could be limited

Due to the large financial commitment to Deshaun Watson, this pretty much rules them out from being players for any of the top quarterbacks in free agency. Would it be nice to be in on Sam Darnold?

Sure, but thanks to the wheelings and dealings of this regime, they are stuck with the worst quarterback contract of all time, and as a result, Darnold is off the table. That is, if he becomes a free agent and does not stay in Minnesota by either signing a new contract or being franchise-tagged by the Vikings.

This brings us to the next crop of quarterbacks, who are either players like the above-mentioned Darnold who are looking to get their careers back on track or placeholders and nothing more. This is a group that features the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Mac Jones, and nobody should get too excited about the prospect of any of them coming to Cleveland.

If any of them are signed by the Browns, it should only be due to a lack of viable options available to them, which also happen to be affordable.

Could the Browns trade for a quarterback?

Considering Cleveland’s financial situation, trading for a quarterback on a cost-controlled contract could be the solution to their problems. This could allow the Browns to ride out the remainder of Watson’s contract and any other players they are paying via void years (there are several) while still fielding a competitive team on the field.

Should the Vikings decide to keep Darnold as their starter for the long term, maybe they could be convinced to trade last year’s first round selection, J.J. McCarthy, for the right price. If Darnold is indeed their guy, they would have no need for McCarthy besides being a backup who would never see the field.

While there is value in having a quality backup, this could prove to be a problem should Darnold struggle at any point, and the calls for him to be benched in favor of McCarthy could grow loud rather quickly. It would be in Minnesota’s best interest to make a decisive step in either direction with Darnold or McCarthy and let the one they do not choose get a chance to grow elsewhere.