Everyone is saying all the right things about Johnny Manziel, but it has to be concerning to the Cleveland Browns that he is still behind Josh McCown on the depth chart. No, we haven't even reached training camp yet. But the team that picked first overall this year released McCown for poor play. That says something, doesn't it? By some accounts, the Browns appear to be moving on from Johnny Football. But who could they be moving on to?
Predicting where the Browns will pick in the 2016 draft before the 2015 season has even started is far from a sure fire measurement. But CBS Sports projects Cleveland to select Michigan State QB Connor Cook with the No. 12 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
"The Browns are currently in quarterback purgatory and unless Johnny Manziel rights the ship, Cleveland likely will be in the market for a talented passer like Cook."
Cook's decision making has improved significantly since being the named starter back in the 2013 season. That's probably why CBS Sports is not the first outlet to label him a logical replacement for Manziel. ESPN and Football Outsiders reached the same conclusion, though they projected Cleveland to take him second overall.
"Josh McCown is a short-term fix at quarterback for the Browns, and Johnny Manziel's future is up in the air," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay wrote. "Cook has good size at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons as a starter, including leading the Spartans to Cotton bowl and Rose Bowl victories."
Cook completed 58.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions for MSU last season. If the Browns do end up taking him next year, he would be the fourth quarterback the team has drafted in the first-round since Brady Quinn in 2009.
