With Kirk Cousins’ announcement on Monday that he was leaving Minnesota to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, the first significant quarterback domino of the offseason fell.
It remains to be seen how the remainder of the quarterback market plays out, but the Browns are anticipated to participate as they want to acquire a backup to Deshaun Watson. However, one previous backup for the Browns is no longer available for Cleveland.
Jacoby Brissett, 31, signed a one-year contract on Monday to become a member of the Patriots, returning to the team that selected him in the 2016 draft. Alex Van Pelt, the former offensive coordinator for the Browns, will rejoin Brissett. Earlier in the offseason, the Browns fired Van Pelt and replaced him with Ken Dorsey.
The Browns are allegedly interested in a number of seasoned backup quarterbacks, even if Brissett may not be available. The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reports that Cleveland is considering making an offer for Sam Darnold, the former No. 2 overall selection. According to reports, Darnold is considering offers from the Vikings and Browns.
Volin adds that Cleveland has shown interest in free agency quarterback Jameis Winston of the Saints.
This summer, there has been a lot of talk about a possible reunion with Joe Flacco, the Maestro of an incredible run that helped lead the Browns to a wild card berth at the end of the previous season. Joining Cleveland in Week 12, the 39-year-old quickly rose to prominence in the league as its feel-good tale. With five starts, the MVP of the Super Bowl went 4-1 and finished the season with 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air.
