It’s been readily apparent that Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer has made quite an impression on head coach Hue Jackson.
Now that training camp is set to open on July 27, the coach has quite the dilemma in front of him, according to Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
“No Browns player’s stock had risen as rapidly or dramatically by the time the team broke mandatory minicamp June 15 than rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer’s,” Ulrich wrote. “A serious temptation to start Kizer right away is clearly something coach Hue Jackson faces with training camp opening Thursday in Berea.”
This doubles down on a report that Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com gave after minicamp had concluded, that Kizer improved more than any other quarterback on the roster, which we covered here.
Obviously, this is a young man that has been able to grasp what Jackson’s offense requires very quickly, not to mention executing it on the practice field.
Kizer has been working with the first-team offense already. If he’s really showing up better than the likes of Cody Kessler and Brock Osweiler, then the Browns should start him. They have nothing to lose at this point, especially considering Jackson needs to start working with the quarterback of the future as soon as possible or risk becoming just one more failed coach in Cleveland.
Osweiler has reportedly been a pleasant surprise to the Browns this spring, but even at his best in Denver he was a limited quarterback who did just enough.
Kessler is Mr. Limited, possessing just enough arm strength to make plays. But he’ll never threaten NFL secondaries like Kizer can, which Ulrich noted in his column.
Cleveland shouldn’t hesitate to let Kizer work out his kinks on the field this season. The Browns aren’t a playoff team, no matter who starts at quarterback. So let the rookie learn on the fly, with one of the game’s best quarterback whisperers helping him grow.