The bar to play at quarterback is very low in Cleveland, so benching another team might be the best option for the Browns.
Kirk Cousins will be on the team's radar as a replacement for struggling starter Deshaun Watson if the Falcons move on from him this offseason. A team official told ESPN..
The official said the team will consider “veterans with starting talent,” and the “prevailing theory” in NFL circles is that teams are looking to hold competition for the starter spot next season. said.
The Browns are paying a price for their decision to make Watson's $230 million contract fully guaranteed. Some would argue that at 29 years old, Watson is no longer an elite quarterback, just a starter.
Teams like the Giants released Daniel Jones and even the Falcons took rookie Michael Penix Jr. and benched Cousins, but Cleveland never paid Watson a penny of his guaranteed huge salary. They are in a tougher position because they have to.
Paying yet another quarterback would lower the cap even further, even though reserve players like Tyrod Taylor still make decent money.
According to ESPN, the Browns could owe $92 million in cash and receive $119 million in dead salary cap if they cut Watson after June 1st, compared to $100 million before then. He could receive $73 million in cap space.
But what Pittsburgh did with Russell Wilson this offseason is to offer a starting position to a quarterback who is being paid by another team (in Wilson's case, Denver). can also be considered.
That's where Cousins comes in.
The Falcons signed the 36-year-old to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed this offseason, but he played in just 15 games before being sent to the bench.
The writing is on the wall for Cousins' time, as Atlanta took Penix Jr. in the first round and relied on him late in the season.
The Falcons could cut Cousins this offseason, making Cousins even more attractive since the Browns could sign him as a veteran minimum.
“If you put up with it just for the money, you're just prolonging the inevitable,” a national NFL scout told ESPN. “You saw what Denver did, and they're doing well. The Browns are going to have to do it on a bigger scale.”
It's possible the Browns will select a quarterback in the draft. Cleveland holds the No. 3 pick entering Week 18..
However, there are questions about this quarterback class, and the Browns could use help from across the roster. The Browns could theoretically bring in high-profile players in Cousins and Watson.
One downside to this scenario is that Cousins could be no more.
Cousins had 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions this season, but struggled in his first year back after tearing his Achilles tendon and was benched.
But those numbers look like Pro Bowl-caliber numbers compared to Watson's five touchdowns and three interceptions before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Week 7.
Cousins also worked with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota, and the Browns coach is probably better suited to get him back on track than the Atlanta coach.
