It’s the NFL offseason, and the Cleveland Browns are looking for a quarterback. As we all know, this statement could be made on an annual basis, and the situation is no different this time around.
As Cleveland counts down the minutes until it can cut troubled QB Johnny Manziel, there will also be intense focus on who his replacement will be on the carousel of Browns franchise quarterbacks. With the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, the smart money is on the team taking a top prospect like Jared Goff or Carson Wentz.
However, if we’re to believe Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Cleveland may not be looking to fill the void at QB via the draft.
King noted earlier this week the Browns might be interested in making an offer for Denver Broncos backup Brock Osweiler. He made eight appearances this year while starter Peyton Manning struggled with injuries throughout the season. Now that the odds favor Manning taking his Super Bowl trophy and heading off into retirement, the popular belief is Denver will look to sign Osweiler to a new contract and pencil him in as the next starter.
At the same time, the Broncos are reportedly holding off on any talks with him out of respect to Manning. If nothing is done by the time free agency opens next month, though, Osweiler will hit the open market. And, if this does indeed take place, King believes Browns new coach Hue Jackson will make a run at him.
That said, despite Cleveland’s perpetual need for a quarterback, I’m not sure I understand the idea of going after Osweiler. Yes, the Browns desperately need an upgrade at this position, but just how much of one would Denver’s backup really be?
Nobody has to tell me how woeful the past two decades of Cleveland quarterbacking have been. I’m very well aware that the highlight reel of Browns QBs since 1999 might as well have ‘Yakety Sax’ as its soundtrack.
But is Osweiler really that big of an upgrade?
Yes, he was given half a season’s work this year and the Broncos ended up as the top seed in the AFC. But, how much of that was due to their dominant defense?
Osweiler, for his part, had a decent season. He threw for ten touchdowns and six interceptions, ending the year with a passer rating of 86.4. While he never had what you’d call a breakout game, he also never completely imploded on the field.
At the end of the day, though, that’s all Osweiler really was. Not great, not bad. He never really wowed anybody, but he also wasn’t painfully terrible.
With this in mind, I can’t really see why the Browns would be interested in making a big offer for him.
Per Troy Renck of the Denver Post, Osweiler is expected to command more money than that received by Nick Foles last offseason when he signed an extension with the St. Louis Rams. For the record, his extension was worth $24.5 million for two years, and included $13.7 million in guaranteed money.
Tell me again why the Browns should make that kind of offer for Osweiler?
Yes, Cleveland needs a quarterback, and has for almost 20 years. At the same time, what has Osweiler done to merit a major contract offer? He’s played in 21 games across four years, and hasn’t really been anything more than okay.
Sure, you could argue the Browns have plenty of cap space to work with, so money isn’t really an issue. Regardless, what’s the difference between giving Osweiler a sizable (and potentially undeserved) contract and just taking a rookie with the second overall pick? With holes across the roster, shouldn’t Cleveland dedicate its money elsewhere?
Obviously we don’t know enough about Osweiler to determine whether or not he’s a legit NFL starter. He may end up surprising everyone and becoming a quality quarterback in this league.
Again, though, we don’t know enough about him. Shouldn’t this at least mean he’s not worth a big contract offer? Is he yet another Matt Flynn-type player, someone who performs well in backup duty and gets overpaid by a desperate team in the offseason?
Maybe I’m just overreacting to a small rumor. But, I’m still not sure why the Browns would target Osweiler, especially if he’s going to command a big salary.
