Move on over Johnny Manziel, get out of the way Josh McCown, a new quarterback may be coming to town. The Cleveland Browns, likely all-too-aware of the mediocre talent already in place at the signal-caller position, have reportedly begun vetting top QB prospects set to be available in the 2016 NFL Draft. Per a report from Jon Solomon of CBS Sports, the Browns and GM Ray Farmer have already been showing interest in current Michigan State quarterback and likely top-10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Connor Cook.
Cook's high school coach, Gerry Rardin, revealed to Solomon recently that the Browns stopped by his offices at Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio to discuss Cook, who would have been a high draft pick had he come out last year, but decided to stay for his senior season and, depending on the Spartans efforts in 2015, could find himself at the very top of next April's draft.
"They feel like Connor is going to be one of the more important guys in the draft, for sure," Rardin said, via Solomon.
Last Sept. former NFL front office member and current NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared Cook to longtime Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and now Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Carson Palmer. While that's a pretty lofty comparison to make for a guy who's still waiting to start his senior college season, there's no doubting that fans of the Browns would love to see someone like Cook under center for their beloved franchise going forward.
Johnny Manziel has, of course, mostly disappointed since Farmer and Browns head coach Mike Pettine - and probably team-owner Jimmy Haslam - made the decision to expend a first-round pick last year on the former Texas A&M standout. While Manziel has made many offseason changes to his personal life and his recent on-field efforts have been much-improved from an entirely abysmal rookie year, he's still given the team no indication that he's ready to wear the mantle of a franchise quarterback.
Veteran journeyman Josh McCown was signed this offseason to compete with Manziel and looks likely to take the top spot for Cleveland. His career has been marked mostly by mediocrity and fleeting moments of success and if McCown's efforts against the Buffalo Bills - two interceptions, no touchdowns - in the Browns second preseason game is any indication of his current abilities, it's likely to be a very long season in Cleveland.
While that will sting in the here and now, it may position the Browns well to have a high selection and therefore their pick of the quarterback litter - a litter that will also include Ohio State's Cardale Jones, Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and Penn State's Christian Hackenburg - once the first-round of the 2016 NFL Draft rolls around. Whether Cook, who threw 212 completions for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year and is considered a "big, strong, effortless thrower" with good footwork, winds up being the selection remains to be seen, but at least one thing is certain - the Browns very much remain in the market for a face of the franchise quarterback.
