Psst, I'm not sure if you've heard, but the Cleveland Browns need a quarterback. Badly. The Johnny Manziel era is over in Cleveland, marking yet another failed experiment with a first-round quarterback. After so many swings and misses with high-profile rookie passers in the draft, after all of that optimism followed by crushing disappointment, why not switch up your tactics and target a veteran with some upside in free agency? At least, that is what ESPN Insiders Aaron Schatz and Scott Kascmar believe the Browns should do.
Of all the quarterbacks scheduled to become free agents this offseason, arguably the most attractive is Kirk Cousins. While it's doubtful that the Washington Redskins will let him leave, Schatz and Kascmar argue that the Browns should at least give it a whirl as they embark on yet another reboot.
"If Hue Jackson and the Browns are not fully sold on Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) or Jared Goff (California), the top two quarterbacks in this year's draft, then they should not force the No. 2 pick," the duo wrote. "Instead, they should try signing someone with proven NFL success, such as Cousins - a free agent. Cousins has improved and had 23 touchdowns to three interceptions in his last 10 games of last season. The contract can be modeled as a 'pay as you go' structure similar to what Colin Kaepernick has in San Francisco."
The pair may be overselling Cousins' pedigree just a bit. He threw eight interceptions throughout the season's first six games and was always turnover prone before his hot stretch to end 2015. However, he is a highly accurate passer (led the NFL in completion rate at 69 percent) who gets rid of the ball quickly and still has room to grow. Washington did finish the year ranked in the top half of the league in passing yards per game (255.9) and passing touchdowns (30) with Cousins at the helm, after all.
"Jackson was in Cincinnati with [Andy] Dalton. Cousins has a similar skill set in that he has solid mobility and is more accurate than Dalton," they continued. "The Browns found some hidden gems in Gary Barnidge and Travis Benjamin last year, and Josh Gordon could be back along with a solid offensive line. The pieces are there minus the quarterback, which has been the main problem for Cleveland 2.0. After striking out in the draft so often, maybe settling for a proven play with some upside is the way to go."
