After an ugly showing in Week 5, throwing for just 125 yards in an ugly loss to rookie QB Jayden Daniels and his surging Washington Commanders, fans, pundits, and experts alike are clamoring to see the Cleveland Browns make a change under center.
On paper, the is simple: Watson is playing poorly, is already incredibly unpopular, and slowly but surely, his teammates are going to stop giving him their all if he isn't putting in maximum effort in the pursuit of racking up wins. With a massive turnaround already on the books last season, where Kevin Stefanski took his team to the playoffs with a backup quarterback signed off the street, would the Browns really throw away the season in the hopes of Watson putting it all together?
Because of Watson's contract, that feels like a legit possibility, but if things continue to go downhill, there are a few options that could come into Cleveland and give fans something to believe, even if there isn't a magic bullet that can instantly shoot the Browns back into contention.
3 QBs the Browns should trade for
1. Joe Flacco
Duh, what else is there to even say?
…
Okay, so after looking like a ghost for the past few years, technically continuing his NFL career as a backup but only appearing in 12 games as a member of the Jets from 2020-22, Flacco found himself unemployed for much of the 2023 NFL season before signing with the Browns' practice squad in November. From there, he breezed through Stefanski's playbook, hit the tape, and made his eventual debut in Week 13, where he led the Browns to a 19-36 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
From there, Flacco led the Browns to four straight wins, playing so well that he didn't even have to play in Week 18 before leading Cleveland onto the field in a playoff battle against Watson's former team, the Houston Texans. Granted, the Browns lost that game handily, but Flacco still played well enough, stringing together four straight 300-yard games to win Comeback Player of the Year.
Should the Browns have kept Flacco this offseason? Yes, but it made sense that they didn't, as there would have already been calls for him to take over for Watson a month into the 2024 season. Still, that faith in Watson appears ill-advised, and now, the Browns might just have to surrender an asset to bring Flacco back in the hopes of trying to do some postseason damage.
Is it a tough pill to swallow to move forward with a 39-year-old quarterback as your starter long-term? Yes, the number of quarterbacks who have accomplished much in their fourth century of life is incredibly slim, and at best, his runway is a few seasons at best. Still, considering what Flacco did in Cleveland last year and has done in Indianapolis so far this season, he might just be the best option available in 2024 for a team looking for an immediate upgrade.
2. Russell Wilson
If the Browns want to look a little younger but still want to add a veteran quarterback with serious accolades, then they only have to look one state over for an interesting solution, as Russell Wilson is sitting on the bench while Justin Fields attempts to prove that he's a franchise quarterback moving forward.
Now granted, it's hard to imagine a world where the Steelers want to make the Browns better, as they will be competing with the duo down the stretch for a playoff spot representing the AFC North, but how much better is Wilson than Watson? Recall, if you will, that Wilson looked diminished in Denver, to the point where his team ate a historic dead money figure to allow him to sign with the Steelers in the first place. If Wilson isn't a clear upgrade over Fields, with the latter clearly a bottom-10 starting quarterback at this stage of the game, would he really improve the Browns that much?
Considering Watson can leave the Steelers to sign anywhere he'd like next season and, thus, is one of the premier trade chips in the NFL today, if Pittsburgh can secure a third-round pick for his services now, which is what he will likely garner the team in the compensatory pick formula next spring, it makes sense to take it.
3. Kenny Pickett
If the Browns want to take things even younger but still want a player with AFC North experience, Kenny Pickett is currently sitting on the bench for the Eagles and might just be getable for a Day 3 pick and the contract rights to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a player Howie Roseman liked a lot during the pre-draft process.
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Originally drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 2022, Pickett has appeared in 25 games with 24 starts. He's led his team to a 14-10 record despite having Matt Canada as his offensive coordinator and even had some quality performances for the yellow and black, even if his overall inconsistencies ultimately led to his exit in favor of Wilson and Fields.
Assuming the Browns are okay with another pocket passer, it's possible GM Andrew Berry could squink his eyes and view Pickett as a 26-year-old Flacco with one more year on his contract and a fifth-year option they could still pick up. Considering how well second-change quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Geno Smith have played in 2024, the change to change out DTR for Picket for the cost of, say, a fourth-round pick might just be too good for Berry to pass up.
Bonus: just play Jameis Winston, the Browns
While the Browns have plenty of external options they could trade for in the pursuit of a quarterback upgrade, why don't they just play the signal-caller they identified in free agency a few months ago, Jameis Winston?
Yes, Winston is a loose cannon, yes, he's thrown an incredible number of interceptions since entering the NFL – 99, to be exact – and yes, he hasn't won more than a game in a season since 2021, but goodness, can he be worse than Watson?
Winston is a charismatic leader with a cannon for an arm and a way of galvanizing the troops around him; if Stefanski can scheme up the Flacco offense for the FSU product and beg him to avoid taking unnecessary risks, who knows, maybe he can make good on his draft pedigree after all?
