It's no secret the Cleveland Browns are in the market for a new quarterback this offseason hile they try to decide whether or not they'll use the No. 2 overall pick on a signal caller, or turn to a veteran in free agency, new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees provided at some insight into what qualities they're looking for in the team's next QB.
"At the end of the day, the quarterback's job is to solve problems," Rees said at his introductory press conference on Thursday. "You're going to be tasked 60, 70, 80 times a game to make a decision in a critical moment. And so I've always started with the ability to make quick decisions and make the right decisions. So if you said one thing over the other, I want a decision maker at that position.”
With that trait as a guiding light, Rees and the Browns staff will now dive head first into a busy offseason looking to identify the quarterback they think best exemplifies that. It may come in the form of one of the quarterbacks in this year's rookie class. It's a process Rees will be heavily involved in.
"A lot of those conversations are still to be had," said Rees. "Obviously the evaluation process is ongoing for the quarterbacks. I'll be involved in that, whether [at the] Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, those decisions are yet to be made."
Cleveland is in prime position to potentially draft one of the top two prospects right now in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Miami's Cam Ward. Other notable names, who are expected to go in later rounds, include Texas' Quinn Ewers, Ohio State's Will Howard and Alabama's Jalen Milroe. Rees has an important connection with Milroe considering he served as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator in 2023 during the NFL hopeful's sophomore campaign.
Any insight into Milroe's game that Rees may have though, is being kept close to the vest for now.
"As a person, I have a lot of love for Jalen, a lot of respect for Jalen," Rees said. "Obviously we went through an entire season together and when you're the play-caller and the quarterback, there's a great relationship there, but I'm really not going to expand much on anybody in the draft right now and just know that I have a lot of love for Jalen as the man he is and wish him all the best."
