My Quarterback Wish List For The Cleveland Browns Next Season
So I think the entire population of this little planet we call Earth collectively learned at the same time yesterday that Deshaun Watson fucking sucks. There's been hater, yes. But there was always a thought / hope in the back of everyone's mind that he could return to Houston Texans form. Because for the past two years, in which he's played 12 total games, there were plenty of excuses. He's rusty! He's injured! He'll come around! Blah, blah, blah. Then he proceeded to throw the ball 15 yards out of bounds not once, not twice, but at least fifty times yesterday until the Boo Birds rightfully came out. Don't get me wrong, the Offensive Line was a combination of Swiss cheese and wet paper towel, but there were also wide open receivers running down the field, and there was also, you know, a fucking field. Deshaun Watson threw more balls outside of the playing field than inside of it. So here's where I'm at: Deshaun Watson is currently the worst QB in the league (check the ratings!), has the worst contract in football, and will go down as the worst trade in the history of the sport. Now don't get me wrong, if he plays better in these next four games and we're 4-1, I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune. But all I can go by right now is what I can see with my eyes, and I can see that he's fucking terrible and doesn't want to be here. Joe Flacco proved it's a Deshaun problem, not a scheme or coaching or talent problem. And I know he carries a $72.9 million cap hit in 2025 AND 2026, but if he doesn't get better this season, we will be moving on next year. Here are my Top 5 QBs I want in the orange and brown next season:
#1 - Carson Beck
My favorite path to success in the NFL is to have an affordable young QB that you can surround with a great defense and elite weapons. I think the Bears are in such a great spot these next couple years, where I want to be them. I want to have the #1 overall pick and pair Myles and the boys with this guy for the next 4+ years. If we lose 3 of the next 4, tank.
#2 - Quinn Ewers
The problem with the Browns is I'd venture to say we're bad enough where we won't make the playoffs, but we're talented enough where we won't get the #1 pick. Maybe we can fall in a sweet spot where we can bring Quinn Ewers back to Ohio? People forget he spent his Senior Year of HS aka Freshman Year of College in Columbus. Just one trip up 71N and boom, you're a Cleveland Brown. Wouldn't even need to get too much of a new wardrobe!
#3 - Miller Moss
Advertisement
The way the mock drafts are looking, this is probably our most likely guy if we're going the rookie route. The experts like Cheah and Blutman currently have him going around the 10-15 range, which is right where I see this Browns team finishing. All I've seen of this guy thus far is the LSU game, but I like the way he can sling it. I'll keep an eye on him the rest of the Big 10 season, just in case Andrew Berry needs my opinion heading into the draft.
#4 - Baker Mayfield
Can we call tradebacks? If we can call tradebacks, we should call tradebacks. I know we didn't straight up trade for Deshaun using Baker.....because we used our three 1st round picks instead. But I mean, here's the Week 1 stats from the two guys in question:
Baker Mayfield: 24 for 30, 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Deshaun Watson: 24 for 45, 169 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 6 Sacks (plus $230,000,000 and three 1st round picks)
....but that's not even the worst part. The worst part for me is that Baker played through injury that made us run him out of town. He would've died for this city. Deshaun Watson doesn't even play when the doctors say he is cleared. Baker Mayfield GOT US. Deshaun Watson appears to hate not just us, but football in general. Could you imagine this roster if we kept Baker for far less and got to use three 1st round picks, along with the talent we have???
#5 - Davis Warren
Hear me out. If we can't get any of the four pictured above, I want to tank so hard in 2025 that we can get Nico or Arch or whoever the clear #1 guy coming in 2026 is. And from what I saw on Saturday from Michigan, this would be just the guy for the tank job. If you thought our 0-16 season was bad, think of having Davis Warren lead us into Baltimore and Pittsburgh for an AFC North battle in November. I know it's unorthodox, but drafting and starting this guy could be what we truly need to finally win a Super Bowl.