Browns could target first-round QB

Deshaun Watson will remain with the Browns for (at least) one more season, his latest restructuring now clear. However, Cleveland will be looking to create more competition at the quarterback spot this offseason, and the draft is one avenue that could be used to do so.

The Browns enter Sunday’s game with a record of 3-12, making them a candidate for a top-five pick in April’s draft. Holding a top pick like that could open the door to adding one of the best passers in the 2025 class, depending on how the rest of the order at the top of the board pans out. Assuming the team is able to do so, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes that the Browns will be a candidate to select a Day 1 quarterback.

Of course, trading Watson and signing him to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract should give the Browns a long-term solution at center. However, the former Texan has struggled with an 11-game suspension during his tenure in Cleveland, followed by serious injuries in consecutive seasons, and there is a possibility he could miss time at the start of the 2025 season while recovering from his Achilles tendon rupture recovered. At least one outside passer will likely be brought in to compete with Watson Dorian Thompson Robinson, who, unlike veterans Jameis Winston is under contract for next year.

The 2024 draft produced six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks, but a repeat of that performance is not expected this time. Currently, only two passers are scheduled to be considered at the top of the standings in 2025 – Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland could end up within reach of one or both QBs, and in that case the team would undoubtedly spend a lot of time evaluating each QB. Shortly after paying three first-round picks as part of the price to acquire Watson, using a Day 1 pick for his successor would obviously not be an intentional move on the general manager’s part Andrew Berrybut Watson’s performance when healthy would warrant bringing in a backup starting option.

Of course, the Browns could do this before April. Several quarterbacks are expected to hit the market Sam Darnold He’s the best option in free agency assuming he doesn’t re-sign with the Vikings. Minnesota wants to keep him in his place (with a deal that includes a significant raise over his current contract), but if that doesn’t happen, there will be multiple outside suitors. Cleveland could be one of them, and adding Darnold would give the team a multi-year starting option while dealing with the remainder of Watson’s cumbersome contract and its associated salary cap implications.

Outside of Darnold, a mix of journeymen, veterans and younger passers Justin Fields And MacJones are well on their way to being available. Short-term quarterback signings in this league could help the Browns achieve their stated goal of returning to the playoffs in 2025, and success could also pave the way for a new direction under center. However, if Cleveland decides to avoid a lucrative QB deal this spring, adding a rookie passer would increasingly be an option to watch.