DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns' starting QB battle might be Cody Kessler vs. a rookie

Browns' starting QB battle might be Cody Kessler vs. a rookie

The Cleveland Browns traded for a quarterback early in free agency so they could pay him and not play him.

Such is the state of the position in Cleveland; the Browns will pay Brock Osweiler $16 million not to play. Cue the jokes about what it would take to get someone to actually, you know, take the field.

The initial free-agent spending splurge has come and gone, and the Browns added talent on the offensive line but released one of their quarterbacks.

The Browns' options, never that great to start, dwindled as free agency continued.

Little has been heard about the possible trade of Jimmy Garoppolo from New England. ESPN's Adam Schefter made it clear that the Patriots have made it clear Garoppolo will not be traded.

The Bills re-signed Tyrod Taylor.

Mike Glennon went to the Bears.

Nick Foles rejoined the Eagles.

Robert Griffin III was released.

And the Browns felt it wasn't even worth the phone call to get in touch with Brian Hoyer.

Where does that leave the Browns? Short of a miracle up their sleeve, none of the options are real pretty when it comes to the short term.

Cody Kessler: If the Browns lined up today to play or practice, Kessler would be the starter. He finished his rookie season with a 92.3 rating, but had two concussions. His want-to and attitude and work ethic are impeccable. His physical skills and arm strength and health are concerns. The Browns entered the offseason with the idea that Kessler would be brought back to compete for the starting job and definitely be the backup. If he's forced onto the field by default, the offseason will not be successful.

Garoppolo: The Patriots might say no, but the Browns need to keep asking. The day could arrive when the Patriots might say yes, even if it's by accident.

The draft: Whether it's Mitch Trubisky or Deshaun Watson or DeShone Kizer or perhaps Patrick Mahomes or Davis Webb, the Browns more or less have to come out of the draft with a quarterback. The quarterback preferably would be the 12th overall pick, with the first pick used on defensive end Myles Garrett. The upside: The Browns would have a young quarterback. The downside: None of the four are projected to be ready to play as rookies.

Geno Smith: Discount the reports that the Browns are interested. They aren't. For good reason. Smith had 28 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a 72.4 rating in four seasons in New York. Keeping Griffin would have been a better option.

Chase Daniel: Cut by the Eagles after Foles signed, Daniel is 6-foot and has two starts in seven NFL seasons.

Colin Kaepernick: The numbers don't seem to add up for Kaepernick for anyone. The market has been almost totally silent on him during free agency.

Osweiler: They're paying him $16 million and, to paraphrase Rick Pitino, Otto Graham and Bernie Kosar are not walking through the door. Giving Osweiler a look to see what they have can't leave the Browns worse off than they are now.

Among the other options are Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, Mark Sanchez, E.J. Manuel and T.J. Yates.

The list almost speaks for itself. It clearly shows how far the Browns have to go at the most important position on the field.

http://www.espn.com/blog/cleveland-brown...ler-vs-a-rookie

My money is on the rookie

Why does the rookie PREFERABLY have to be picked at #12?

So we can call him a "First round QB" in every other article and say "maybe it's time to see what he's got?" By week fricken 6?

Because this type of thought process is easy when you're paid to report on a football team in the middle of March.

Personally I take every QB story out of the Browns and the Pats and every other QB needy team in the NFL between now and the draft as a smoke screen. . . . a bit like the Geno "rumor". There's going to be plenty of BS spread about for the next month.

Are these your thoughts? It looks like an article but I don't see the link.

Well, I hope your happy.....That GD is now burned in to my brain Thanks

With the release of Rg3 AND McCown, it only makes sense to me that the starter Week 1 will be either Kessler or whatever rookie we draft. Those are our only options. Even if you sign a vet to the team, they shouldn't be starting. It should be for mentoring/grooming the future only.

But what's the point of starting Kessler if we draft a rookie for the future?

The starter will be Kessler. I just can't imagine that we draft a QB at 1 or 12, and if even if we did, will he have a better understanding of the playbook by the beginning of the season? I doubt it.

I think if you protect Kessler, he can be an effective manager, just not a game changer.

This will be Kessler's second year in the same system and he has had an entire offseason to work his but off so it's now or never for him. He has to show improvement this year if he even wants to stay relevant.

The game should slow down for him some and if he gets starter reps then it's possible he could be a Hoyer level QB. The improved run game should help him some and all the rookie WR won't be rookies anymore so that should help too.

Whoever end up at QB really needs Coleman to step it up as our #1 WR since we don't have TP anymore.

Either way we take our lumps this year and if Kessler can't get it done and we can't trade for Cousins or Jimmy G. Then we sell the farm to get us a QB next year when there will be some really good ones compared to this years garbage crop.

When Kessler first got the nod he was making some really nice, ballsy throws. Crazy accurate to TP in double coverage and the like. But as the season went on we didn't see that same level of confidence, and even less as he was asked to do more.

This season he has to do 2 things in my mind:

-Push the ball downfield more.

-Get comfortable spreading the ball around. One of his best friends last season could have been Barnidge and I think he should have looked for him more.

Barnidge running the seem route is money virtually every time. It reminds me of the early Madden games where you'd have that one pass play you'd run over and over lol.

What worries me the most about Kessler is if he doesn't show improvement, we'll know early and it'll be a loooong season from there.

Maybe not that long. The D is going to improve, helping to keep us in closer games.

Keep the games closer, we can run the ball a lot more. Kessler can hand the ball off.

The level of confidence changed the more and more Hue talked about pushing the ball downfield more.

Just let Kessler be Kessler. If the play is there, make it; whether thats short, med, or long.

I'm really anxious to see what Hue is like when he actually supports and believes in a QB. Before the season started, we got a glimpse of it, but I never saw it after regular season started. He often mentioned that losing affects QBs, well so does not getting love from their HC.

j/c:

I put this in another thread, but it fits here:

Your spot on.

I like Kessler, I think he is going to be a good backup QB. A guy that can fill in for a game or two here and there, but he isn't an NFL starting QB...he just doesn't have the arm, nor does he have that elite Kosar/Sipe type of intelligence to read D to make up for what he lacks in arm.

For where we drafted him at though, he is good value for a backup QB.

j/c

I posted this in another thread but it seems to fit here as well.

If the season played out the way Hue had hoped, we would still not yet have seen CK in a real game.

I don't think we have any clue of his floor or ceiling. 3rd Rd rookie getting limited reps throughout camp in a brand new offense with limited WRs becomes a starter in game 3 and watches the middle of his O line go to crap.

What could possibly go wrong in THAT scenario? Given the circumstances, I thought he played pretty well.

There was that one drive against NE.

It was almost like the light went on.

I got kind of excited.

Then the next drive we started near the goal line and decided not to block anyone.

I am not ready to write off Kessler and call him nothing but back-up material.

He should make a pretty nice jump from his performance last year.

How big a jump? Only time will tell.

As a rookie QB with a line that grew more depleted week by week, a center that couldn't block a blowing newspaper and a defence that constantly put the team in a comeback position and in bad field position, I think its hard to be too negative on Kessler.

However, unless there's a big jump into year two and a deep ball that comes out smoother and prettier, he's likely not a top QB. I think we can win with him though and even just with the FA period, I think we are a better overall team now than last year - even with the loss of Pryor.

Hopefully, the draft provides a big bump up to the defence and we actually might be competitive next year and squeak out some Ws.

If next season plays out the way I hope, we will not see CK in a real game. LOL

If we get a guy that out-plays CK, I'm ok with that...just glad that guy won't be named Griffin or McCown.

Cody is more of a timing and anticipation passer. It is very hard to be that when A neither of your receivers run the same route twice the same way and B you do a 5 step drop and you get hit on step 3 because of poor line communication.

Can he be more than an above average starter in this league or even a halfway decent starter? I dont know but I think he can be much better with a full camp, receivers with more experience and a vastly improved OL.

But for the topic, keep your eye on Webb to be our opening day starter if the Jimmy G trade falls apart.

This can't be true:



If you believe this:



A back-up needs to be capable of starting at some point, or they're basically useless.

JMHO

I'm of the mind that we are positioning ourselves to take a QB next year. I think we will draft all the pieces around the QB/shore up the defense and install one much like Dallas could do with Prescott or all of other teams that are one QB away and end up in the playoffs.

Here is a breakdown of 2018 Browns FA & why we don't need a QB this year.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/2018/cleveland-browns/

that list is really light in players we will need to keep from the 2017 team. I only see Davis, Greco, Crow, Kirksey as potentials/must keep the rest... i doubt we will be resigning or offering a ton of $

In 2018 season we will need to make a run at the playoffs with a rookie QB or trade for one because there are no good QB's avail in FA that year. We will also need to resign Thomas in the Off-season for 1 more year.

In 2019 we will need to win the SuperBowl... just about everyone's contact is up in 2020. If we don't have a QB this will be the year to buy one in FA or trade all assets for the best one we can.


With all of this in mind, I expect us to run with Kessler or Pukesweiler. If we get luckly.... really really really lucky... one of them will improve in the offseason and lead us to some wins and be a Brian Hoyer+ QB and relieve the pressure of taking a QB next year.

Give me Mahommes this year and Darnold next year.

You should always be looking to upgrade your roster at any position you can.

Agreed. Are you saying we should find a better back-up QB? I'm down.

Uh. I'd think that most teams would prefer that their backup never has to play.

I'm saying the door should always be open to that possibility. That possibility should be open at every position.

I mean look at the FA signing. Our strongest position on the OL was at G. RT and C appeared to be the weakest. Where did we invest the most money with the best FA? At G. We vastly improved the G position because the opportunity presented itself.

While we did sign a C, his injury history is a big question mark and the investment was much less. Now I'm sure the FO and fan base would have been much happier had a quality C and RT been available in the FA market, but they certainly weren't. However, that did not stop the FO from upgrading the OL.

It's my hope they treat every position on the roster this way. Including the back up QB position.

My favorite John Madden quote!

Yeah, heaven forbid guys on a message board should listen to a HC who won a SB.

I agree completely.

Yeah... Sure. Hope for the best prepare for the worst. You still have to have a backup that can play, because why? Because hope is not a strategy.

I can't figure out your intent unless it is just to be disagreeable. If that is the case.........okay, fine. LOL

However, let's say that Kessler is backing up our starting qb [Jimmy G please...] Why in the world would I want our starter to get hurt so Cody can play?

That makes absolutely no sense.

Not being disagreeable, just found it odd. If you have a back up QB, he should be able to start. If you feel Kessler is detrimental as a starter (as I do) then it's pointless to have him as a back-up. JMHO

Did you read what I just wrote? Why would I wish injury on my starting qb?

Kessler was a 3rd round pick. A project qb. A qb the team thought they might be able to "grow".

As a 3rd string qb, he got what, maybe 5% of the snaps in training camp? RG got what, 75%, and McCown 20%?

Kessler was supposed to sit this past year. Instead, RG got hurt game 1. McCown got hurt, what, game 2, or 3?

Consequently, Kessler was by default the starting qb. A 3rd round draft project qb that had extremely minimal reps until he became the starter.

How can you expect more out of him than what he did? Didn't he also have 2 concussions during the year and missed some time?


Know what EVERY draft pick says about the play in the NFL? "Damn, it's fast."

Is he, or will he ever be a starter? I don't know, but I do know dumping on him now is dumb when everything is factored in.

I'm willing to go 1-15 this year AGAIN for Darnold. Best college QB I've seen in many years.

Roll with Kessler this year and keep him upright.

If we can stomach stinking it up again for just one more year (a tough pill to swallow, I get it) and get Darnold, we will FINALLY have a true 10-year franchise QB that could make us legitimate contenders every season.