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Football Outsiders founder says Browns have one of the worst QB depth charts in the past decade

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Over at ESPN (insider required), Football Outsiders Founder Aaron Schatz decided to rank the NFL's 10 worst quarterback depth charts of the past 10 years. Cleveland has had some pretty bad depth charts over the past decade. Fortunately, there were other teams at the top of the list, but the Browns did just sneak on at No. 10 with their 2016 group of quarterbacks.

Perhaps Hue Jackson can somehow find a way to unlock the potential Robert Griffin III showed as a rookie, when he ranked third in the NFL with a 75.6 QBR. But Griffin fell to 42.1 in 2013 and 33.5 in 2014, then lost his job to Kirk Cousins.

Josh McCown will start if Griffin doesn't. McCown, of course, had that amazing half-season for the 2013 Bears, but based on DVOA ratings, that was the only year in his career he was ever above average. He had the worst DVOA in the league in 2014, and his QBR that year ranked ahead of only rookie Blake Bortles. Last year, McCown was a bit better (23rd in DVOA and 22nd in QBR), but he's going to be 37 this year, making him the third-oldest QB in the league behind Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Third on the depth chart is Cody Kessler, a third-round rookie from USC with a dismal minus-201 QBASE. (The average QBASE for prospects since 1998 is 437, and the only quarterback with negative QBASE to eventually make a Pro Bowl was Brian Griese.) 2014 UDFA Connor Shaw is also around for training camp.

To gain some perspective, the worst quarterback depth chart went to the 2011 Washington Redskins for their combination of Rex Grossman, John Beck, and Jonathan Crompton. The only other team to make the list from 2016 are the New York Jets (Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg, and Bryce Petty), but that situation would get much better if Ryan Fitzpatrick decides to sign on the dotted line.

Schatz also listed other teams he considered but did not crack the Top 10. Two of those "honorable mentions" were the Browns -- in 2010 (Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, and Colt McCoy) and in 2013 (Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell, and Brian Hoyer).