The Cleveland Browns face an uncertain future at quarterback, with Deshaun Watson's return date unclear after a re-torn Achilles and veteran fill-in Jameis Winston departed in free agency.
One NFL analyst believes the Browns could find the answer in the trade market, targeting a 13-year veteran who could be in need of a change of scenery.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox broke down the quarterbacks who will likely be available for trade this offseason, noting that the Atlanta Falcons appear "ready to turn the page" to Michael Penix Jr. and would be willing to part with Kirk Cousins. The veteran quarterback just last year signed a four-year, $180 million contract, but the Falcons have plans for Penix to become their franchise quarterback.
Knox noted that there could still be some lingering injury concerns for Cousins after he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023, but he would still make a good target for the Browns.
"Of course, it's hard to know how healthy Cousins actually was in 2024, and there's the fact that his contract carries a no-trade clause—meaning Cousins would have to sign off on any deal," Knox wrote. "The Browns would make the most sense for him, given his Vikings connection with head coach Kevin Stefanski."
Knox added that Cousins still has what it takes to be an NFL starter, so he could compete with a young quarterback, should the Browns choose to add one in the NFL draft.
"However, if Cousins is truly healthy, ready to buy into a program and able to return to the Pro Bowl form we last saw in 2022, he could be more than just a bridge for any QB-needy team," Knox wrote.
Browns Predicted to Sign Pro Bowl QB to Replace Deshaun Watson
As of now, the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for Week 1 is shaping up to be Kenny Pickett. That is after Deshaun Watson, who is entering the fourth season of a five-year, $230 million deal, had surgery in January to repair a re-ruptured Achilles injury.
Pickett has not lived up to his status as a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL draft. In 30 career appearances (25 starts) with the Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, he has completed 471 of 755 passes for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 79.3 passer rating.
In a video posted to the "NFL on NBC" YouTube channel, Pro Football Talk analyst Mike Florio predicted that the Browns will sign one-time Pro Bowler Carson Wentz to fill in for Watson.
"I think Carson Wentz will be the one that they bring in to ultimately win the job at a time when they need cheap quarterbacks because they've got so much money and cap space still tied up in that albatross of a Deshaun Watson contract," Florio said. "The single worst transaction in NFL history, and that is not an exaggeration."
The last time Wentz started at least 10 games in a season was in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts, where he proved to be a viable option, completing 322 of 516 passes for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 94.6 passer rating.
Since then, though, he has bounced between three different teams not getting much of a chance to prove himself with 13 appearances and nine starts, completing 201 of 319 passes for 2,036 yards, 13 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and an 81.7 passer rating.
If Wentz can return to being the same player from just four years ago, he could be a bargain for the Browns to replace Watson with, as Spotrac places his market value at just $1.9 million annually.
