The Cleveland Browns have been searching for a quarterback for what seems like forever. The Browns have won double-digit games just once since returning to the NFL in 1999, as Derek Anderson went 10-5 as Cleveland’s starter in 2007.
To fix their issues behind center, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns will try to trade for New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, depending on how their draft evaluations go over the next several weeks. But before we get into whether the Browns should trade for Garoppolo, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at all of the quarterbacks the Browns have started since 1999.
Successful quarterback play is essential to have a stable franchise, which the Browns have been anything but since their return to the league. You don’t have to look far from Garoppolo to see what success at the quarterback position looks like. The guy ahead of Garoppolo for New England, Tom Brady, has been the Patriots’ starting quarterback since 2001 and will appear in a record-setting seventh Super Bowl on Sunday. To trade for Garoppolo, it may cost the Browns the No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and more. "To be honest, I really haven't thought about it much,'' Garoppolo said Wednesday at Super Bowl availability. …show more content…
"It's not even in the back of my mind. We're focused on the Falcons this week. It's a big week for us. It's the biggest game of the year and that's kind of where my mind's at.'' Garoppolo went 2-0 as New England’s starter this season while Brady served his four-game suspension for the Deflategate scandal. Before Garoppolo went down with a shoulder injury in Week 2, he had played so well that there was ridiculous buzz about him overtaking Brady as the starter. In almost six full quarters as the starter this season, Garoppolo threw for 496 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a completion rate above 70 percent and 120.7 passer rating. They’re impressive numbers, but let’s not jump the gun anointing Garoppolo the next Brady or Joe Montana.
We’ve seen Brady’s backups have success in the past. Former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel filled in for Brady in 2008 after the latter went down in Week 1 with a torn ACL. Cassel went 10-5 as the starter that season, throwing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He went on to start 47 games in four seasons with the Chiefs, where he simply couldn’t sustain the success he experienced from that 2008 season with New England. The Browns also hold the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft and have their choice of any eligible quarterback, including top-rated prospects Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson. Many have praised Trubisky as the highest-rated quarterback in the upcoming draft, despite starting just 13 games in his career at North Carolina. Nevertheless, Cleveland could draft a quarterback with the first-overall pick and trade the 12th pick for Garoppolo, but that seems highly unlikely. Financially, it makes sense for the Browns to draft a quarterback, as rookie contracts don’t significantly cut into the salary cap. Garoppolo will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season and at that point, the Browns would have to make the decision whether to sign him long-term. With the starting
To fix their issues behind center, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns will try to trade for New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, depending on how their draft evaluations go over the next several weeks. But before we get into whether the Browns should trade for Garoppolo, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at all of the quarterbacks the Browns have started since 1999.
Successful quarterback play is essential to have a stable franchise, which the Browns have been anything but since their return to the league. You don’t have to look far from Garoppolo to see what success at the quarterback position looks like. The guy ahead of Garoppolo for New England, Tom Brady, has been the Patriots’ starting quarterback since 2001 and will appear in a record-setting seventh Super Bowl on Sunday. To trade for Garoppolo, it may cost the Browns the No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and more. "To be honest, I really haven't thought about it much,'' Garoppolo said Wednesday at Super Bowl availability. …show more content…
"It's not even in the back of my mind. We're focused on the Falcons this week. It's a big week for us. It's the biggest game of the year and that's kind of where my mind's at.'' Garoppolo went 2-0 as New England’s starter this season while Brady served his four-game suspension for the Deflategate scandal. Before Garoppolo went down with a shoulder injury in Week 2, he had played so well that there was ridiculous buzz about him overtaking Brady as the starter. In almost six full quarters as the starter this season, Garoppolo threw for 496 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a completion rate above 70 percent and 120.7 passer rating. They’re impressive numbers, but let’s not jump the gun anointing Garoppolo the next Brady or Joe Montana.
We’ve seen Brady’s backups have success in the past. Former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel filled in for Brady in 2008 after the latter went down in Week 1 with a torn ACL. Cassel went 10-5 as the starter that season, throwing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He went on to start 47 games in four seasons with the Chiefs, where he simply couldn’t sustain the success he experienced from that 2008 season with New England. The Browns also hold the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft and have their choice of any eligible quarterback, including top-rated prospects Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson. Many have praised Trubisky as the highest-rated quarterback in the upcoming draft, despite starting just 13 games in his career at North Carolina. Nevertheless, Cleveland could draft a quarterback with the first-overall pick and trade the 12th pick for Garoppolo, but that seems highly unlikely. Financially, it makes sense for the Browns to draft a quarterback, as rookie contracts don’t significantly cut into the salary cap. Garoppolo will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season and at that point, the Browns would have to make the decision whether to sign him long-term. With the starting