by Nick Broulis
CANTON, Ohio– What are the pros and cons of the top QB prospects this year and how the free-agent market can play a role in that in this edition of the Broulis Beat Report.
1. Josh Allen has been getting a decent amount of attention the last month or so. I realize that Allen has everything you want from a physical standpoint, but doesn’t he sound like another Brandon Weeden type? Allen never had a completion percentage higher than 56. Some experts argue that accuracy is more important than height or weight. Also, is accuracy something that can be improved? Some say yes, others say no.
If we want to find that out, just be patient regarding Kizer. That was his issue, other than turnovers. The Browns aren’t a good spot for Allen to land in. Ideally for Allen, any team with an established QB in place and taking it a step further, a backup behind the starter. Allen is a project that might not be able to make an impact in the NFL until later down the road.
2. Baker Mayfield is the guy that just about everyone is wondering where he’ll end up. Of course, the big knocks on Mayfield are that he’s too short at 6-foot and some also shy away from him because he played in the Big 12. Now, let’s add his 70 percent completion percentage into the mix. That changes quite a few people’s thoughts on where he could land. The Cleveland Browns cannot take a chance on a guy that people hope is the next Drew Brees. Brees learned how to keep plays alive and find the passing lanes to get the ball to his play makers. Who knows if Mayfield will ever be able to do that.
3. Is Josh Rosen the answer? As it stands now, the experts say that Rosen is the most pro-ready quarterback of the group. There is a huge concern over how badly Rosen treasures the idea of being the guy that helps turn around a team that has the lowest respectability level currently in the NFL. I think Cleveland would be making a huge mistake if they draft someone that seems to have little desire to be great. The Browns will learn a lot about this young man at the combine when they interview him.
4. Will the Browns take another USC quarterback? Sam Darnold is drawing comparisons to Andrew Luck. Darnold had his turnover issues in college, but, as I wrote last week, Darnold might as well have played without an offensive line in their bowl loss to Ohio State. My thinking, is that Darnold will be a great QB if he gets the chance to stand on the sidelines for a year.
Now that A.J. McCarron is an unrestricted free-agent, I fully expect McCarron to be wearing an Orange and Brown helmet.
McCarron isn’t that quality veteran quarterback that I wanted the Browns to bring in. They didn’t want to sign Alex Smith to a large big money extension like the Redskins did. I don’t blame them. I also am 99 percent sure that Kirk Cousins will sign somewhere other than Cleveland. I’m not losing sleep over that.
I’m not creating the A.J. McCarron fan club by any means but McCarron is 2-1 as a starter and has a 64.7 completion percentage. The Browns need to sign at least one quarterback that has experienced winning at this level.
If the Jets are smart, they’ll keep Josh McCown around. Even though McCown is going to be 39 by training camp, he proved last year that even he can win with a terrible team like the Jets. In 2017, McCown had a completion percentage of 67 and started 13 games. His touchdown to interception ration was 18-9. Again, here’s another veteran with NFL experience and has won. While McCown isn’t a quality quarterback to the level of what I’d like, he could be used as a backup to someone else. I’d like to see Cleveland have to use two or three quarterbacks before they are forced to use the rookie. With that said, does that mean that Cody Kessler has a chance to stick around? I’m not too sure about that.
Cleveland must be aggressive when it comes to putting more talent on the offensive side of the ball. I know that the Browns still have work to do on defense, they need help everywhere, but getting talent to throw to and talent in the backfield are needed.
Crowell is likely gone and that opens a spot in the backfield which will be filled by a rookie from the draft more than likely.
So far, knock on wood, Josh Gordon has been able to stay out of the news. Let’s hope it stays that way. There is also speculation that Browns GM John Dorsey could be looking to trade wide receiver Corey Coleman. Coleman has battled multiple injuries since being drafted by Cleveland. Coleman hasn’t lived up to his first-round selection either.
Wide receivers Ricardo Louis and Rashard Higgins haven’t done much to impress me. Depending on what Cleveland does in the draft and free-agency, both could be on the outside, looking in before long.
When the Browns made Todd Haley their new offensive coordinator, Haley spoke multiple times about the need to being able to run the ball. Especially in this division. If the Browns can create a solid running game on a consistent basis, that would help out any quarterback that starts under center.
I’m not dismissing DeShone Kizer. While Kizer made a lot of bad decisions and throws, Cleveland should keep him on the roster. Kizer has now had a year of experience under his belt and he remained mentally strong despite having a bad rookie year. He could be another QB used to keep the rookie from having to play or Cleveland could hope to play him, he plays well and the Browns could make a trade for a future draft pick. Cleveland might want to even keep him around if he shows a big improvement. Kizer has everything needed to be an NFL quarterback, but he must cut down the interceptions and improve on his reads and overall decision making.
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