Getty Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns listens to questions during press conference after the Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 14, 2022 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns are more than likely going to add a fourth quarterback to their roster in the coming weeks. The question is of those available, who makes the most sense?
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson awaits what could prove a lengthy suspension due to two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct levied against him. Cleveland signed Jacoby Brissett as the backup, though he has proven a mediocre performer at best over six seasons. Brissett has produced a win/loss record of 14-23 as an NFL starter with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. The Browns also added Josh Dobbs, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, though he has thrown just 17 passes in the regular season since seeing his first action in 2018.
All signs indicate that the Browns simply don’t have enough at the position if Watson ends up suspended for a protracted period of time, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Friday, July 15, that the team will pursue another signal caller should he receive a lengthy punishment.
One inexpensive option for the franchise would be to trade for Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Jordan Love, a former first-round selection in 2020 who could potentially be had for as little as a third-round pick in return.
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Browns Have Draft Capital to Trade With Packers For Jordan Love
GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints at TIAA Bank Field on September 12, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Packers have a short window of a year, or perhaps two, to either install Love as their quarterback of the future or trade him while his value remains substantial. If they can get an early pick from the Browns for their backup QB, it might prove too good of a deal to pass up.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in May that the Packers will consider dealing Love for the right price, implying that the team is listening but has yet to hear an offer from any potential suitors matching their desired haul. It’s an offer Cleveland now appears in a position to make.
“I do think they had some interest [during draft weekend]. I don’t think they had any offer that would make it so they had to move on from [Love],” Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show on May 10. “I guarantee somebody would trade a fifth-rounder for Jordan Love. I’m sure somebody would trade a fourth-rounder for Jordan Love. But is that enough for the Packers?”
“Now, if someone is willing to give maybe a [second-rounder], definitely; or a [third-rounder], maybe. Then I think [the Packers] would say, ‘You know what, we’ll take the [trade], we’ll sign a veteran backup, and we’ll deal with it,'” Rapoport added. “It’s just the value hasn’t come close to meeting what they would do it for.”
Cleveland holds the rights to eight draft picks in 2023 including a second-round selection and a third-round selection, per the team’s official website.
Browns Lost Best Option Behind Watson by Trading Baker Mayfield
Baker MayfieldFormer Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers on July 6, 2022.
That Love ultimately exits Green Bay via a trade appears more likely now than ever, after two-time reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers just signed the richest annual extension in NFL history.
Love’s first-round draft status and manageable contract make him a solid prospect, but his lack of production and the lack of an adequate sample size on which to accurately judge it present meaningful question marks. Timing is also an issue, as Love has two seasons remaining on his rookie deal, to which the Packers can add a fifth year by exercising a team option by next offseason.
After guaranteeing Watson $230 million over the next five years, Cleveland has officially passed the point of no return on activating “win-now mode.” The team always suspected a possible suspension for Watson, but alienated its best option to replace him in Baker Mayfield by the very act of acquiring Watson in the first place. The team later traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers.
If the Browns believe enough in Love to put up a third-round pick or better, the Packers must seriously consider it. Green Bay may never be able to garner the same kind of offer on the trade market again, particularly if Love goes another full season playing almost exclusively minutes that don’t matter.
The length of Watson’s punishment may well dictate in which direction the Browns ultimately choose to go under center. The NFL is asking for a full season on the sidelines for the embattled quarterback with the option to apply for reinstatement afterwards, while the NFL Players Association is pushing for the exact opposite outcome.
Should Watson miss most, or all of, the season, a longer-term solution like Love or Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers might make the most sense. If Watson’s suspension is half of the year or less, a security blanket like Cam Newton behind Brissett may prove the better answer.