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.
Can the top of the NFL Draft be the answer?
From now until the Browns actually turn in their selection for the second overall pick in the upcoming draft, there will be plenty of discussion regarding who they should take. Most of those discussions will involve support for either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, two of the projected top quarterbacks in the draft. But what if neither are good fits for the offensive system of the Cleveland Browns?
There is an expectation that the Browns will return to the offense that Kevin Stefanski initially brought to Cleveland when he was hired in early 2020. Wide zone scheme with play-action passes incorporated at opportune times, in case anyone needs a refresher, and that means that Cleveland should look to find someone who should be able to slide into the offense without missing a beat.
One more factor is also at play, which should disqualify both Ward and Sanders from being considered with the number two pick - limiting turnovers and sacks. Sanders tends to hold the ball too long, resulting in taking unnecessary hits, while Ward takes far too many risks than anyone should be comfortable with.
Quarterbacks with these descriptions are what the Browns are trying to get away from, not try it again with a different player with the same profile. With that, this should allow Cleveland to take another position (perhaps left tackle or edge rusher) when it comes time to make the second overall selection.
What about drafting a quarterback with a later pick?
Drafting a quarterback after the first round is something that should always be on the table and should really be standard operating procedure for any team that does not have a genuine franchise quarterback.
There will be intriguing options available on day two and beyond, and many are worthy of being taken in the right spot, but there is one that is yet to declare for the draft which should garner extra attention from the decision-makers in Berea should he change his mind - Penn State's Drew Allar.
Allar is widely projected to be a day two pick, and this would allow the Browns to draft a different position with their first pick and come back and select him with the next pick.
Cleveland could also trade back into the first round from the second and take him from any other teams looking for a possible successor to their current starter. Either avenue would result in the Browns selecting someone who should fit in nicely with what Cleveland wants to do offensively.
Allar has the size and frame teams dream about in a franchise quarterback. At 6'5" and 238 pounds, the Medina, Ohio native should be able to make the jump from Penn State's offensive scheme to that of Kevin Stefanski rather easily. But then again, that is only if Allar changes his mind and enters this draft rather than returning for his senior season and entering next year's draft.
Should Allar stay in school, taking a chance in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc., is a more than acceptable approach, hoping they find someone special, but if that does not work, they can always wait until 2026 when the quarterbacks in that class are expected to be superior to those in 2025.
Whichever direction the Browns decide to go in, they better get it right, because they are running out of chances. If they screw it up (again), it will be time for a full-on rebuild in Cleveland, and that is the last thing anyone wants to see take place.
