The Cleveland Browns are beginning their final set of OTA sessions, which will be followed by mandatory minicamp. After that, it’s nearly two months of downtime, which prompted Field Yates of ESPN to look at all 32 teams and see is what the biggest question each team will face during that stretch.
Can you guess what the question is for the Browns? I can already hear you groaning, “It’s about quarterback position again, isn’t it?” Of course it is:
Where's the quarterback? The Browns have eschewed using a top pick on the quarterback spot in consecutive drafts, instead adding draft capital by trading down and ardently trying to pry away Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots. The depth chart now includes Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and 2017 second-round pick DeShone Kizer, who was drafted late enough to suggest that the team doesn't view him as the surefire long-term plan but instead a talented flier worth trying to coach up. If Kizer is not the answer, the Browns must address the quarterback situation next offseason. They have an additional first-round pick in 2018, plus two extra second-round picks. In what is viewed as a strong quarterback class, their plan could be taking shape.
I’m excited about the Browns, but no matter how we try to pump ourselves up about Kessler, Osweiler, or Kizer, the fact that there are three quarterbacks in the competition makes it darn-near impossible for anyone to gain a clear edge over the other. This is largely going to come down to Hue Jackson’s early assessment in training camp, and maybe even going against the grain like Pete Carroll once did with Russell Wilson.