Which QB will win the Cleveland Browns starting job?
By Luke Drage
The Cleveland Browns are entering yet another training camp with a myriad of uncertainty surrounding the starting quarterback job.
Two of last season’s starters, Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown, departed in free agency. This paved the way for the additions of Brock Osweiler, via trade with Houston, and Deshone Kizer in the second round of the draft.
This leaves Hue Jackson with a group of four, of which none are certain commodities in the league. All have lingering question marks over their ability to deliver consistent quarterback play.
With no man out of the four having a clear head start it seems as though this is the most open quarterback race in the NFL going in to training camp.
"Jackson himself has declared it a four way race, saying: “We’re going to give all our guys an opportunity to compete,”“That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about who is the starter, who is this. Let’s let these guys get here and learn our offense and spend time with myself and (quarterback coach David) Lee and go out on the field and let’s see how it all turns out.”"
But who will come out on top and take the field as the QB1 in Cleveland in week one against Pittsburgh?
Brock Osweiler
The former Broncos and Texans signal caller was the subject of one of the more bizarre trades in recent memory. The Cleveland Browns took his large salary in return for draft compensation.
The willingness of Houston to offload Osweiler is surely not a good sign just one year in to the monster four year, $72 million contract he signed last offseason.
But, after passing up the chance to take a quarterback in round one of the draft, could Osweiler now find himself in position to win the job purely based on his experience?
He has the most starts of the group and is the only one with playoff experience. However, his dismal play last year certainly exposed some of his successes with Denver as bogus and system related.
A 59% completion rate in addition to tossing just 15 touchdowns against 16 picks in 2016 does not make for pretty reading. The Arizona State product will have much to prove in camp in order for Jackson to trust him with the starting gig.
Cody Kessler
Last year’s third round pick out of USC ended up starting 8 games for the Cleveland Browns as a rookie and certainly outperformed his stock, without being spectacular.
Kessler doesn’t possess the ideal physical tools of a prototypical NFL starter. However, the former Trojan proved to be a solid option operating a low risk, run first offense. He completed 65.6% off his passes and threw for six scores, whilst only tossing two picks.
There is something to be said for his early steadiness and second year improvement is certainly possible. But, Kessler did go 0-8 as a starter and his physical limitations are obvious.
He may start out with his nose in front of the pack, but that is mostly down to his knowledge of the system. Whilst Kessler could feasibly be the starter come week one, it’s not likely he holds that title past the mid point of the season.
Kevin Hogan
Hogan, another 2016 draft pick who saw action last season, is the least likely to start in 2017.
His college numbers were terrific but in his short time on the field in NFL has showed that a starting gig is beyond his reach. Two picks and a lowly 53.8 completion rate on just 26 attempts don’t flatter the former Stanford signal caller. He looks more like a career back up than a man capable of turning around a struggling franchise.
Deshone Kizer
Kizer is the wildcard in this race for Cleveland Browns starting QB. The second round pick out of Notre Dame has outstanding physical traits, standing at 6’4, 233lbs. He also has elite arm strength to go with ample mobility outside of the pocket.
Jackson clearly values these traits, saying of his rookie quarterback: “Obviously, he has the measurables, a big, physical quarterback who can make all the throws that anybody needs to make in the National Football League,”
Kizer certainly has the most potential of any of the four QB’s on the roster. But, his rawness out of college is an enormous factor. There are genuine questions surrounding his ability to play in year one, something that Jackson recognizes.
The concerns largely stem from his mediocre completion percentage in 2016 (59%) and his team’s worrying 4-8 season. Kizer was even benched by head coach Brian Kelly following an awful stretch of play against Stanford.
NFL insider Mike Mayock perfectly exemplified the conundrum with Kizer in his evaluation of the Notre Dame prospect for the draft:
"“I think he has the most upside, the highest ceiling. But he is 12-11 as a starter at Notre Dame. He played a lot of bad football with the game on the line in the fourth quarter this year.“That is not acceptable. But he is 6’5”, 235. He has that kind of prototypical franchise quarterback look, a Philip Rivers type … if he gets everything right.” Mayock told the MMQB."
Kizer’s potential is there for all to see but he will need to progress rapidly in camp if he is to grab that QB1 spot.
Verdict
Kizer looks to be the long term starter if he develops as is expected. 2017 comes too early for him and the experience of Kessler and Osweiler leaves them as the two favorites to start. Ultimately, Kessler’s promising play last year, along with his prior knowledge of the system should give him the edge.
Next: New York Jets: Why they’re throwing in towel on 2017 season
Whether or not any of these guys on the roster will bring an end to the comical carousel of Cleveland Browns quarterbacks over the past decade and more, remains to be seen however.