Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson Robinson. None of them were good enough to turn a weak offense around.
The Browns still don't get it. They think that
a) the more money you pay a quarterback, the better they play. So, if you pay a quarterback more than Patrick Mahomes, that quarterback must be even better than Mahomes. So come on down, Deshaun Watson!
b) The way you solve a quarterback controversy is to trade away the backup quarterback lest he make the front office look silly. So, they got rid of Joe Flacco, because he proved the Watson deal was preposterous. Prior to that, they axed Case Keenum, Jacoby Brissett, and Josh Dobbs. We're getting ready to cut Jameis Winston, despite the fact that he proved himself to be vastly superior to Watson. All of these players are miles ahead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Crown Prince and favorite of the Realm. For that matter, they are also better than the current number one, Deshaun "Generational Talent" Watson.
c) Quarterbacks reach their prime in their rookie season. How else can you justify drafting Dorian Thompson Robinson in Round 5, and promoting him to second string on Opening Day? Good grief! Once in a while there is a Russell Wilson who has success immediately after being drafted in a middle round, but this is very rare. This writer does not hate DTR, but he probably needs 3 or 4 years to become an acceptable backup, just like Josh Dobbs rode the bench behind Big Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph.
It's like this: if you believe that the salary cap is real, than the object is to get the players who will contribute the most and cost the least. It's not that different from Fantasy Football. So, if you pay someone more than Mahomes, he must contribute more than Mahomes. If you are paying more than your opponents and fielding players who contribute less than their peers around the league, you are unlikely to have a winning team. You cannot pay $70 million dollars a year for a lousy quarterback on a lousy offense for a lousy team, and then run out and outplay the Chiefs. This is common sense.
A good team makes the QB look good. Get five tough fat kids for the offensive line, two stud tight ends and two good running backs, and and average QB with average wide receivers can score points in the Stefanski offense.
Joe Flacco was good enough to get into the playoffs, and once you're in you have at least some chance for a Ring. Brissett, Keenum, Winston and Dobbs had a legit shot also, especially if the Browns had had six draft picks and $230 million dollars to build with.
Look at the Steelers. With Russell Wilson at a quarterback and when T.J. was healthy, they were a playoff team. They collapsed down the stretch because their defense was old and injured, but the point is they proved they could win with a low-cost quarterback.
The Browns can't wait to throw money at ineffective big name quarterbacks, live in fear of their own backups. That's why they will pass on generational talents on defense in order to draft Shedeur Sanders, who Pro Football Focus ranks as the 43rd best prospect in the Draft. But he plays Quarterback, so that's our guy!
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