The Cleveland Browns aren't exactly set at quarterback and that might be putting it lightly. ESPN and Football Outsiders believe Cleveland's QB situation is so bad that they will finish 5-11 this season, "earning" the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft in the process (behind the Washington Redskins).
Of course, that is just a projection. Teams have a way of surprising even the best of analysts and it's not as if this Browns roster is devoid of talent. When healthy, they have a solid pass defense, a good offensive line and a pair of intriguing second-year running backs. They did start off last season 6-3, after all.
But should the team's lack of QB certainty be their undoing, and it very well might, the 2016 draft will provide them with another opportunity to grab a potential franchise signal caller. ESPN Insider Todd McShay believes Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook would be the pick.
"Josh McCown is a short-term fix at quarterback for the Browns, and Johnny Manziel's future is up in the air," 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."
Manziel, a first round pick in 2014, recently completed a stay in rehab after a highly disappointing season. He's fighting an uphill battle to not only unseat McCown as the starter but also to impress the Browns enough to convince them to keep him in their future plans. That will be incredibly difficult to do after off-field issues plagued him all of last season and he failed to produce on the field.
Cook completed 58.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions last year. He has drawn favorable comparisons to Carson Palmer from NFL.com.
