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2014 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns Cannot Afford To Pass On A Quarterback

There has been a lot of talk around the National Football League that quarterback prospects heading into the 2014 draft might end up falling dramatically come next Thursday. This isn’t due to a lack of teams with needs at the all-important quarterback position. The Cleveland Browns, who will be selecting fourth overall barring a trade, are one of those teams. 

They have not fielded a consistent franchise quarterback since the always entertaining Bernie Kosar was suiting up for a “franchise” that now calls itself the Baltimore Ravens. Don’t question me on the semantics right now, Art Modell was the owner of the Browns the last time they had a decent franchise guy under center.

Since Kosar moved on during the 1993 season, the Browns have thrown out draft busts, washed-up veterans and simply bad quarterbacks nearly each and every year. It’s now become known as the city where quarterbacks go to die.

Warning to all you Browns fans out there, who I have utmost respect for, the following list isn’t that pretty.

Year Quarterbacks Yards TD INT Rating
1993 Vinny Testaverde, Todd Philcox 3,309 23 19 76.2
1994 Vinny Testaverde, Mark Rypien 3,269 20 21 68.6
1995 Vinny Testaverde, Eric Zeier 3,772 21 20 76.6
1999 Tim Couch, Ty Detmer 2,997 19 15 73.5
2000 Doug Pederson, Tim Couch, Spergon Wynn 2,728 9 19 63.4
2001 Tim Couch 3,154 18 21 74.3
2002 Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb 3,665 27 22 80.5
2003 Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb 3,116 17 18 75.2
2004 Jeff Garcia, Kelly Holcomb, Luke McCown 3,076 21 21 74.9
2005 Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye 3,323 15 17 75.5
2006 Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson 3,247 15 25 69.8
2007 Derek Anderson, Charlie Frye 3,866 29 20 80.7
2008 Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey, Bruce Gradkowski 2,537 11 20 54.8
2009 Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson 2,255 11 18 55.8
2010 Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace 3,203 13 18 75.1
2011 Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace 3,300 16 13 72.8
2012 Brandon Weeden, Thaddeus Lewis 3,668 16 18 73.5
2013 Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer 4,372 26 20 75.7

That is a total of five seasons with more touchdown passes than interceptions. Not until last year did the Browns compile 4,000-plus passing yards in a season. To contrast for a second, they have put up less than 3,000 passing yards twice in the last six years. I am not entirely sure how that happens in the pass-friendly modern day NFL.

Courtesy of ESPN

Courtesy of ESPN

Only once since 1993 have the Browns tallied a quarterback rating of 80 or more in a single season. Their 23 starting quarterbacks since 1993 is also an indication that continuity isn’t a word utilized very often in Cleveland. Interestingly enough (or not so much), Cleveland has had multiple quarterbacks start in a season every year since 1993 with the exception of 2001.

Sadly, the Browns have had talent on the other side of the ball to compete. It’s been all about disastrous quarterback play from 1993 on.

One of the primary reasons that Cleveland has struggled at the quarterback position is that it really hasn’t invested high-round picks in that area in recent seasons.

Year Pick Player Starts
1995 3 (84) Eric Zeier 4
1999 1 (1) Tim Couch 59
2000 6 (183) Spergon Wynn 1
2004 4 (106) Luke McCown 4
2005 3 (67) Charlie Frye 19
2007 1 (22) Brady Quinn 12
2010 3 (85) Colt McCoy 21
2012 1 (22) Brandon Weeden 20

This despite the fact that Cleveland has picked in the top 10 a total of 10 times since 1994. It’s as if the entire Tim Couch disaster made this franchise second guess itself come draft day, kinda like Kevin Costner in the movie itself.

Two of the three first-round picks that Cleveland has exhausted on quarterbacks over this span were taken in the bottom half of the first round. As recent history suggests, this isn’t a recipe for success in the NFL.

Year Pick Player Team
2002 1 (32) Patrick Ramsey Washington Redskins
2003 1 (22) Rex Grossman Chicago Bears
2004 1 (24) J.P. Losman Buffalo Bills
2005 1 (24) Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers
2005 1 (25) Jason Campbell Washington Redskins
2007 1 (22) Brady Quinn Cleveland Browns
2010 1 (25) Tim Tebow Denver Broncos
2012 1 (22) Brandon Weeden Cleveland Browns

Aaron Rodgers is obviously the exception to this rule. While there have been some major duds at this position go in the top 10 since 2002, the chances of a team hitting in that area of the draft is greatly increased.

Unfortunately for fans in Cleveland, it once again has a pick in the 20’s and there are rumors out there that the brass is looking to use that selection on a quarterback. If so, it would likely be selecting a player that multiple quarterback-needy teams have passed up on.

Is this the year that Cleveland actually goes out there and spends a top pick on a quarterback? Based on the sample size above, I wouldn’t be too sure. With that said, the new front office seems to be smitten with a couple quarterbacks in the draft, especially Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr. If that’s the case, why not go out there and get your guy? While it’s too early to indicate that those two are going to be better professionals than Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater, the idea of actually targeting a player that you deem to be a franchise type guy makes more sense than going for leftovers.

Cleveland needs to trust its gut and make the right pick. Whoever it decides is the best option, must go off the board at No. 4 overall. It really is that simple. Is this the year we will hear “we want Carr chants” in Cleveland? For the sake of the fan base, I surely hope so.

Photo: Huffington Post

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