The Cleveland Browns remain in limbo at the quarterback position. Yet if they had listened to some senior scouts about Carson Wentz perhaps that might not be the case.
Now, it’s impossible to project how things will play out in the future. But already, Wentz looks like he could end up being a phenomenal player for the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, Jared Goff could potentially be encased in bubble wrap on the Los Angeles Rams’ sideline this year after a brutal preseason (more on that here).
Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta recently said the Browns weren’t convinced Wentz would be a top-20 quarterback in the league. But there were some scouts within the organization who apparently disagreed on this.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is now reporting that six of those scouts were fired three weeks before the draft for stepping over the company line.
“According to numerous sources with knowledge of the situation, several of the more seasoned scouts and evaluators the Browns parted with prior to the draft — an unusual time to release such employees — actually preferred Wentz to quarterback Jared Goff and believed him to be the greater pro prospect. It was clear to many in the organization dating back to December, when the Browns held intense draft meetings, that the newly-empowered analytics department, soon to be spearheaded by DePodesta, strongly preferred Goff. And new coach Hue Jackson and his offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton, were not high on Wentz but prized Goff, sources said, and made that clear to the rest of the organization.”
Some of those who were fired three weeks before the draft were set to have expiring contracts after the draft, per La Canfora. But he notes the timing of the move was odd, especially now that the Browns are back to square one with Josh McCown and since Wentz had such a beautiful first game with the Eagles.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the Browns end up as winners or losers here.
There is no guarantee that Wentz will have continued success. And at this rate, it’s not a stretch to think Cleveland will challenge for the No. 1 draft pick next year, where they can pick the quarterback of the future, theoretically.