5 Browns QB options ranked in a variety of categories
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of uncertainty at the quarterback position at this point in the 2022 offseason. An offseason that started off with a bang with the acquisition of Amari Cooper has landed with a thud around the quarterback issues.
While hopes of Von Miller, Allen Robison or another big name addition have come and gone, the question at quarterback has remained. Since the end of the 2021 season, the most important position in football has seen this happen for Cleveland:
Browns stated Mayfield would be their starter and bounce back
Reportedly at the NFL combine, the team told Mayfield’s agents that they would pursue clear upgrades but expected to build around him for 2022
Cleveland pursued Deshaun Watson in a trade including flying to Houston to meet with him
Mayfield produced a “thank you letter” that seemed more like a “goodbye letter”
The Browns were eliminated from the Watson sweepstakes
Their starting QB requested a trade
They quickly denied that request
The season ended just a little over two months ago. That list is a lot for just a little over two months.
Cleveland could still go a variety of directions at quarterback so we wanted to take a look at five of the options and rank them in a variety of categories. There are other QBs that could end up being the Browns starter in 2022, including Case Keenum (still on the roster at this moment), but we will focus on these five:
Baker Mayfield
How do those five stack up for Cleveland in the following categories:
Resume
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Ryan
Garoppolo
Mayfield
Winston
Mariota
Seemingly a pretty clear cut order when it comes to resumes. Ryan has been around awhile and lead some pretty high-quality teams while Garoppolo has been in a great situation in San Fransisco, and New England before that. Mayfield had a great 2020 season while Winston has been up and down. Mariota’s career never really had the spike the way Mayfield and Winston have.
Affordable Contract
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Mariota
Winston
Mayfield
Garoppolo
Ryan
Anything can happen with contracts for a team acquiring one of these players but not overly surprising that the QB that would most likely come the cheapest also is at the bottom of the resume list. Ryan and Garoppolo could extend their contracts or Ryan could restructure. Amidst the chaos, Mayfield signing an extension might be the most appropriate ending.
Cost to Obtain
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Mayfield
Mariota
Winston
Ryan
Garoppolo
A similar order but important to note. Mayfield is already under contract while convincing Mariota or Winston to sign could up the price a little bit. Ryan, mostly likely, will only be available if Atlanta gets Watson and will be required to be moved to make that deal possible. The 49ers don’t have to deal Garoppolo and he has a cheaper contract which could make him more expensive in a trade.
Upside
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Winston
Mayfield
Garoppolo
Mariota
Ryan
Perhaps the most subjective part of this list is which quarterback has the most upside. Winston’s arm strength, development in New Orleans and ability as a runner puts him at the top of the list but Mayfield is right behind. Without his major injuries, team drama and COVID-related issues, the former Heisman winner could have built on his quality 2020 season. Mariota hasn’t shown much but is still young and mobile while Ryan turns 37 before the season starts.
Intangibles
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Ryan
Garoppolo
Mariota
Mayfield
Winston
Another quite subjective list but Ryan has been noted as a leader, Garoppolo and Mariota dealt well with the teams that drafted them bringing in their replacements. Mayfield’s immaturities at Oklahoma seemed a thing of the past but last season he seemed to lose the locker room at times despite his toughness. Winston’s off-the-field issues from college were huge red flags.
System Fit
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Ryan
Garoppolo
Mayfield
Mariota
Winston
While this also takes into account talent, it is interesting that all five of the quarterbacks could fit well in the Kevin Stefanski system with Ryan and Garoppolo having success in Kyle Shanahan’s in the past. Mariota and Winston both can move which is important for the bootlegs and rollouts.
Choose a QB
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While we could add these categories together and figure out which quarterback ranks the highest overall, not all of the categories are equally important. In the end, Cleveland could have an interest in all five as their starter and decide what is the best course of action.
Perhaps Ryan tops their list but the Falcons miss out on Watson and keep their long-time QB. Even if Atlanta deals Ryan, Indianapolis could be the destination.
Perhaps Winston is someone who intrigues them but New Orleans retains him or he chooses to go somewhere else for his fresh start.
Maybe they are serious about keeping Mayfield but a team like Seattle makes a big offer that they can’t refuse so they turn to sign Mariota for a year.
It is possible that they are just waiting for Garoppolo to get healthy enough from his own shoulder surgery before swinging a deal for him and trading away Mayfield.
There are still a lot of variables in the air. Given all of them, who would you choose of these five?
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