The Browns Must Draft a Quarterback

I’m going to sum up the Cleveland Browns draft in four words: Draft a quarterback high.

High meaning in the first round. And thanks to DeflateGate the Browns have two chances to do it. New England forfeited its first-round pick, making Cleveland’s second-round pick No. 32 overall, which is first-round value as far as I’m concerned.

And if you’re a Cleveland fan, I don’t understand why you’d be against it.

Browns fans go through this sick cycle every year. During the season they can’t stop screaming at the television for a quarterback. But once the dust settles and the pre-draft process begins, those same fans are terrified of any rookie quarterback and rather the team sign an “experienced” veteran.

This year’s Josh McCown/Jason Campbell/Seneca Wallace clone is named Sam Bradford. The only caveat is that unlike the three aforementioned retreads, Bradford brings an even worse temptation: Fools gold “potential.” Despite six years of injuries and mediocre play suggesting pretty clearly that Bradford’s tank is maxed out, I still see misguided fans clamoring for him to be the next Cleveland signal caller.

Bradford threw 19 touchdowns to 20 turnovers, 14 of those were interceptions. His 3,725 yards look impressive, but when you account for the fact that 4,000 is the new 3,500 — 12 quarterbacks hit the 4,000 yard mark in 2016 — he only ranked 18th in the league. Admittedly, a completion percentage of 65 percent is solid, but factor in that it’s 5 percent higher than his career average and I’ll go ahead and assume a little bit of regression for 2016.

When Bradford came out of college I thought he had the tools to be a very strong quarterback. But injuries have hobbled him. In three out of six years he’s played 10 or fewer games, missing all of 2014. Last year was the first time he played 14 games since 2012, when he started all 16.

Maybe if he starts all 16 games he hits 4,000 yards, but he’s only played every game twice in his career. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll take my chances on any of the rookies in the 2016 draft.

And that’s the headliner of the 2016 free agent quarterback class, assuming Washington and Denver aren’t foolish enough to let Kirk Cousins and Brock Osweiler walk. And even if they did why on Earth would they come to Cleveland with plenty of stronger alternatives available? But if the Browns manage to wrangle one of those two quarterbacks away, I’d pass on drafting one.

Not happening. So back to business.

This year’s likely first-round to high second-round picks are: California’s Jared Goff, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch, Michigan State’s Connor Cook, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg. If the Browns want any of those guys, they’ll need to spend either the No. 2 or No. 32 pick to secure one.

It’s highly likely that at least Goff and Lynch will not fall to 32 and I have a hunch that by draft day Wentz will secure a slot in the Top 20. Cook left a sour taste in many mouths after the way he played against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl while Hackenberg has been sliding for the last two seasons (after 2013 he was branded as a surefire Top 10 pick, possibly No. 1 overall).

I’d love to see any one of those five quarterbacks on the Browns. I’ve seen them all play and each have strengths, each have weaknesses. There isn’t a surefire franchise player like Cam Newton or Andrew Luck in this draft. Whoever Cleveland takes will need to be developed by the coaching staff, and with Hue Jackson at the helm I am confident that can happen. Look at the work he did with Andy Dalton in the last couple of seasons.

Dalton, by the way, was drafted No. 35 overall in the 2011 Draft. The Bengals drafted A.J. Green with the No. 4 pick of that draft. The Browns need to have a similar one-two success this year.

Cleveland doesn’t need to take a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, but it must secure one of those five players. In all likelihood one will be there at No. 32, but if it looks like that won’t happen the team needs to trade up to ensure it secures one of those quarterbacks. Whether or not its worth drafting Goff or Lynch at No. 2 or wait on a guy like Hackenberg or Cook at No. 32 is up to the scouts.

What would I do? I’d hope Joey Bosa falls to No. 2, snag him and then take Hackenberg or Cook (in that order) at No. 32. I think Hackenberg is criminally underrated and whatever team selects him will get a high upside quarterback at a low investment. That said I don’t see the Titans passing on the best player in the draft, unless they receive a great offer from another quarterback starved team and trade down.

Regardless of the name, one of those five players needs to end up on the Browns after April 29. No more half measures, it’s time for Cleveland to address its quarterback problem head on.

Take a player who has the potential to be the guy.