The Cleveland Browns are in rebuilding mode again this offseason, as they have hired new head coach in Hue Jackson and have overhauled their front office. The Browns haven't made the playoffs since 2002 and have gone through a 25 different quarterbacks since 1999, making their first round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft crucial to the future of their franchise.
"Well I think we're in really good shape right now," offensive tackle Joe Thomas said, via The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Obviously going into my 10th year I wish this was the position we were in my second or third year. We're probably going to draft a first-round quarterback, the best quarterback in the draft or the second best at worst. And we've got a guy in Josh McCown who's proven he can be a good player when he's starting and healthy."
The Browns are reportedly expected to move on from quarterback Johnny Manziel in March, as he continues to find himself in trouble with off field incidents. "It's a sad end to the story in Cleveland for Johnny," Thomas said. "He's a guy that personally I like. I believe he has a lot of talent. He's got the talent to be and NFL quarterback, but it obviously hasn't worked out so far."
While Thomas is upset that Manziel was not able to make it work in Cleveland, he is ready to move forward and believes that McCown will serve as a great mentor to whoever they take with the second pick in the draft. "(He's) a tremendous mentor. You're not going to find a better mentor as a quarterback in the NFL, and he's better than you could do as a quarterback coach because he's actually on the field showing the kid how to do it," Thomas said, via The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "So you've got hopefully the future of the franchise getting drafted in the first round and then you've got Josh mentoring him and coaching him along the way. I can't see a better situation that the Browns could possibly be in than that."
The Browns will likely have their choice at quarterback in the draft unless the Titans are able to trade down, as they already have their future franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota. ESPN's Todd McShay projected the Browns to take California quarterback Jared Goff with the second pick in the draft, but some are mixed as to what quarterback prospect would make the best fit in Cleveland. "When I look at Hue Jackson and what he did with Andy Dalton, I think Jared Goff's a better player coming out than Andy Dalton. I think he fits with the Cleveland Browns and gives them the quarterback of the future they've been seeking for a very long time," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, via NFL Network.
While Jeremiah is sold on Goff to the Browns, NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks thinks that North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz would be the best fit with the Browns. "When you think about that division, the AFC North, big strong-armed passers that can play in inclement conditions. He's played in bad-weather games before," Brooks said.
The Browns front office will scrutinize every detail regarding the potential quarterback prospects, as they know that this draft pick will have a major impact on their future as a franchise.
