1. details of Browns’ offseason QB plan possibly leaked

On November 22, 2024By Littum

The Cleveland Browns sit with a 2-8 record as we roll into Week 12. It’s been a season of utter disaster and disappointment.

The team and many fans are looking forward to the 2025 season as they plan to rebuild this roster for next season. The Browns are going to miss the postseason and have several holes on this team.

One of the biggest question marks going into next season is at quarterback after Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles. ESPN’s Matt Miller published an article mocking all 32 picks in the first round. In that piece, he revealed a tidbit about Cleveland’s QB plans.

An early run on receivers? Four QBs in the first round? A trade for the top pick? Here is my projection of the first 32 picks of April’s draft.https://t.co/Y4MXDgy34R

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) 21 November 2024

Miller had the Browns take Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter with the second overall pick, even with Miami QB Cam Ward on the board. Miller added that Cleveland plans to bring in a veteran QB this offseason.

“The Browns’ front office must decide whether to draft a quarterback early in Round 1 to compete with Deshaun Watson when he returns from the Achilles injury that ended his season, a decision complicated by Watson’s contract situation and games before he got hurt (league-low 22.4 QBR) But NFL decision makers I’ve talked to expect Cleveland to bring in a veteran to compete while using the draft to upgrade the guard in other places.”

– Matt Miller

While this may be surprising to Browns fans as they may want a new QB, it is easier said than done. Watson has a cap hit of $72 million in both 2025 and 2026. If Cleveland decided to move on this offseason, it would cost the Browns $172 million in dead cap money.

That’s a tough pill to swallow and increases the likelihood that the team will take a different approach. It looks to add a veteran QB this offseason and allow him to compete for the starting job.

Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are some free agents in 2025. None of these guys have been linked to Cleveland, but could be options.

In terms of getting a player like Hunter, that would be huge. He is the only two-way player in college football to play both WR and CB at a high level. This season in Colorado, he had 911 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Meanwhile, at cornerback, he has 23 tackles, eight pass breakups and three interceptions. The Georgia native is an elite talent and would bring a lot of excitement to the Dawg Pound.

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