The Cleveland Browns were, once again, one of the worst teams in the entire league. They had a 4-12 record that leaves not much doubt about it. In fact, they have only won 27 games since the 2008 season. And also since that same season they have started 11 different quarterbacks. Maybe this last fact is the key to all of their problems: the quarterback position. Names like Seneca Wallace, Colt McCoy, Thad Lewis, Ken Dorsey, and Bruce Gradkowski are some of the players that have owned that privileged position.
If we take a look to all the successful teams in the league, they have one thing in common: they all have great players at the quarterback position. And the thing that the Cleveland Browns’ front office have done wrong season after season is getting a decent quarterback. So they have to get that player in the NFL draft or through a trade with another team. This last option seems to be the more probable one.
Last year, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterbacks combined for a 25thranked 75.7 rating of the league. The three players that played that position last season were Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer and Brandon Weeden.Out of that trio, maybe the one that did best was Hoyer. The former New England Patriots’ quarterback helped his team win the three games that he started before a season-ending injury. They expect him to come back healthy during the mini-camp to fight for the starting job next season.
But the team needs all the help that it could get and one player that seems interesting is Kirk Cousins. The backup Washington Redskins’ quarterback is trying to have a starting job and in his actual team that’s an impossible thing to happen. The starting job belongs to Robert Griffin. So a trade for the right price would be an excellent deal for the Redskins.
Truth is that Cousins is not a tested quarterback but he has shown some interesting things while replacing Griffin III, when he was injured. He has a career 68.6 rating in his 2-years in the league. It’s not great but it has all come in very limited time. A thing that plays in his favor is that the former Redskins’ offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, has now the same job, only this time in Cleveland. Shanahan knows Cousins very well and it seems that he is a key for this trade to happen.
If Cousins finally arrives in Cleveland, he will find a rebuilding offense and he might be the cornerstone on which the team can build. They have a good offensive line, but besides that and besides the leading wide receiver in receiving yards last year, Josh Gordon, there is not much to be excited about. Their ground offense was one of the worst in the whole league.
The team’s second option, selecting a quarterback through the NFL draft, is probable if Johnny Manziel is still available when their turn comes. But if the team trades for Cousins, they will still have a high pick to strengthen the team.
At the end, the Cleveland Browns have many options to get a decent quarterback. It is time for them to get it right.
