Tag Archives: Kyle Shanahan

INSTANT ANALYSIS – JAGUARS 24 BROWNS 6

Here my extensive breakdown of Jacksonville beating the Browns 24-6 for their first win of the season.

Browns Helmet Sideways Photo

FRIDAY FOOTBALL FORECAST

OHIO STATE at MARYLAND  –  12pm  –  SATURDAY

Maryland has a chance to show all the doubters, like myself, why they belong in the Big Ten as they host Ohio State Saturday. The Buckeyes have chance to show that they’ve started to figure out how to play pass defense as they go up against a talented dual threat quarterback C.J. Brown (wrist injury) and his group of talented receivers – Stefon Diggs, Deon Long and Marcus Leak.  If Brown can’t go at QB then it’ll be Caleb Rowe slinging the pigskin around against the Buckeyes. Either way,  it’s another big test for the back end OSU’s defense.

The Buckeyes special teams better be up to the task as well as they’ll be tested in their coverage units going up against the 11th ranked kickoff return man in the country in Stefon Diggs (29.4avg) and William Likely, the 8th ranked punt return man in the country (22.0avg).

J.T. Barrett Close Up from the FrontOSU quarterback J.T. Barrett has put up some decent numbers overall so far for Urban Meyer. The redshirt freshman signal caller has thrown for 1,080 yards and 13TD’s in his first 4 games while running for 205 yards and a a score. He will have to continue to play at a high level for the Buckeyes to win this game on the road in what could be another shootout.

I’ll take the Buckeyes in another high scoring affair 34-24.

 

CLEVELAND BROWNS at TENNESSEE TITANS  –  1pm  –  SUNDAY

The Browns have an opportunity for a road win at Tennessee this Sunday. The Titans are ranked 22nd against the run in the NFL and the Browns strength is their rushing attack, ranked 9th in the NFL. Because of the solid play of the offensive line it shouldn’t matter if it’s Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell or Terrance West carrying the rock, Kyle Shanahan’s offense should be able to move the ball on the ground.

If the Browns are successful with ground game, this will set up Brian Hoyer for plenty of play action opportunities against a defense that has given up 74 points over their last 2 games.Brian Hoyer In Game Close Up

If Jake Locker plays for the Titans, the Browns pass defense will be tested more than if Charlie Whitehurst is under center. But Locker is coming off a wrist injury and while he practiced this week, he could be a bit rusty and not at 100 percent. That’s good news, because any help the Browns pass defense can get right now is needed as they rank 27th against the pass in the NFL.

 

I’m taking the Browns 24-17 in this one, as they start a stretch of 5 games where I expect them to go at least (3-2) if not (4-1).

BRIAN HOYER ON THE LOSS TO THE RAVENS, HIS PLAY, THE TEAM’S 1-2 RECORD AND THE OFFENSE

Brian Hoyer In Game Close Up

 

On not being able to get a first down on the final drive of the game:

“As much as it hurts to lose the game, there were times when we have a chance to put it away and we didn’t do it yesterday. It’s disappointing, and as an offense, we’ve got to be better when it comes to a chance to put the game away.”

 

On what being 1-2 going into the bye week and having all three games coming down to the last possession means:

“We’ve got to clean some stuff up. I think we’ve proven to ourselves that we can play with anyone. Now, it comes down to the point where it only matters if you win or lose. We have to do what we’ve been doing, but figure out a way to win the close games.”

 

On if he feels like there are enough playmakers on this team on both sides of the ball:

“Yeah, no doubt. I have full confidence in the players we have in this locker room. I just…really, we’re hurting ourselves. When it comes down to it, if we eliminate the self-inflicted wounds we win those games. That’s what it comes down to. Hopefully, we take this extra week and try to clean some of that stuff up and really put ourselves in a position to win those games.”

 

On what has surprised him at this point in the season:

“Nothing really. I think, if anything, we need to find a way to finish out those games and really eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.”

 

On why the run offense is working so much better this year:

“I think (it’s) just the emphasis on it. I think obviously (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) has a history of having a great run game, and we have some good backs who are able to run the ball. I think we’re at our best when we can be balanced, and we’ve been able to do that throughout three games.”

 

On what his take is on having two division losses:

“We still have 13 games to play. Obviously those count a little bit more, but there’s no time to panic. We have 13 games to play. Like I said, we have this bye week early which obviously isn’t the best time to have it, but it’s a time for us to recharge, reset the button and figure out what we need to do to fix the self-inflicted penalties, the mental errors and go on and have the next 13 games to really try to get better.”

 

On if the problems are a bunch of small things adding up:

“Yeah. No doubt. It’s small things. We have to a better job paying attention to detail. Like I said, it’s the little things that add up to the big things. All three games came down to the last play. That’s what this league is about. When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how well you play; if you don’t win the game, it’s all for nothing.”

 

On if he thinks that they try to be ‘too cute’ on offense sometimes:

“I don’t think so. This offense is based on keeping people on their toes and throwing a lot at them. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. There’s always a risk and a reward. The first end around, you get 12 yards, so then you try to run a counter off of it. That’s the risk you take. (Ravens LB) Terrell Suggs is a great player, and he stays home. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the guy who was on that side when we ran the other way, so he stayed home. He wasn’t worried about…he was letting his other 10 guys handle that and he stayed home. I mean, that’s why he’s Terrell Suggs. He’s a smart player. You can’t just go out and play safe. You’ve got to throw everything out at them, especially a defense like that. That’s probably one of the better defenses we’ll see all year. We had a great plan for them, and we’ve just got to capitalize in the end and finish the game out.”

 

On how he would evaluate his play through the first three games:

“I’m just always trying to get better. You’re always trying to make improvements. I think as an offense as a whole, we have gotten better. We need to improve. Obviously right now what we’re doing isn’t enough. As long as you’re always trying to get better – you’re always coming out and working and trying to fix things – you put yourself in position to get better each week and win more games.”

 

On if he can give more detail on the miscommunication on the play before the blocked field goal:

“No, I’m not going to give more detail. It was a miscommunication.”

 

On how the team stays focused going into the bye week:

“I think as a group, we’re committed to this. We realize where we’re at. We realize how close we are. I think guys realize that. Having the bye week so early…I mean yeah, it’s good to get away, but do you really need to get away? It’s only been three weeks. I know I’ll be in here and focused on Tennessee, and I’m not worried about that. We’re a mature enough team to handle that.”

 

On if he thinks the offense could give the running backs more carries:

“I don’t know. You’re better off asking (Browns offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) that question. For me, I call the play. Sometimes, I don’t even know which back is in there. I’m so consumed with everything else. I think the coaches get a feel for who has the hot hand, and they go with him.”

 

On if TE Jordan Cameron looking backed to normal and on two of his completions being intended for Cameron:

“Yeah, but he had a big play that kept us alive on that first drive, and the other one I thought it was a pass interference call. Jordan’s definitely a huge part of this offense. I have a very comfortable feeling going with him with the ball. I think maybe he only got targeted a few times, but that’s just the way the game played out. That’s how the play calls were played.”

 

On the Browns trying to match Cameron up against Ravens S Matt Elam:

“Yeah, and we didn’t get as many man-coverage looks as we thought we were going to. There was a few times where we split him out and there was a corner over there and it wasn’t a safety. Not that that is a bad matchup, but you’re really trying to take advantage of him against a safety.”

 

On if the Ravens adjusted how they were playing Cameron:

“Yeah, I think they knew what we were trying to accomplish by splitting him out. At that point, they probably thought it was better to keep a corner on him than a safety.”

 

On if the wind bothered him throwing the ball:

“No, I think, for me, I never had an issue throwing in any type of weather. I think as long as you can throw a tight spiral…we always thought that the wind will affect the kicking game before it affects the passing game because we’re able to throw a spiral. Kickers have got to kick it end over end and so forth. For me, I’ve always been able to spin it well, and I think when you do that you really eliminate the wind.”

 

On if WR Taylor Gabriel stopped and then had to catch up on his 70-yard reception from Hoyer:
“It’s hard to tell from the angle that I saw. I think, if anything, he was making sure he secured the catch, and obviously, in that situation that’s understandable.”

 

On if he is surprised that the offense has clicked this early in the season despite the unit’s play in the preseason:

“No, I think a big deal is made of the preseason. There were a lot of interchangeable parts, myself included. That’s going to happen, but when you really get to get into game planning, focusing on who’s going to be out there playing things really start to come together. I think that’s why you see, obviously, a totally different type of offense now than it was in the preseason.”

 

On if the miscommunication on running back exchanges against Pittsburgh and Baltimore are results of working with young running backs:

“I’m not going to go any further into that. It was a miscommunication, and we’ve got to get better at it. There’s no excuse for it.”

BROWNS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR KYLE SHANAHAN ON BRIAN HOYER, THE NO HUDDLE OFFENSE AND IF HE’D PLAY JOSH GORDON THIS WEEK IF ALLOWED

On if he planned to go to the hurry up offense against Pittsburgh or if it was just a matter of how the game was going:

“No, it was something we’ve planned for a while. We’ve been planning since the summer. It’s something we wanted to go to at some time in that game. We kind of planned on going to it in the first half. We just didn’t stay on the field long enough, so we opened up the second half with it.”

 

On if he’s surprised by how effective it was:

“We thought it would be good. It was a little better than anticipated. It was something that got them off-balance, tired them out a little bit. It tired us out too. When you do that that much, you get a little sloppy on both sides of the ball, but it ended up working out well for us – got some points, got us going.”

 

On if he can condition and train to be more of a no huddle team at this point:

“Yeah, you definitely can. You’ve got to do whatever it takes to score points. I think it’s different based on what fronts and coverages you go against every week. It’s different based on what you’re trying to accomplish with the no-huddle. I thought we did a really good job running the ball. It opened up a lot of bootlegs for us and things like that, which got us some easy completions. I think going to it in the second half made us avoid third down a lot because our first and second down plays were so good.”

 

On what he can do in a more conventional offense to be as good as they were in the second half:

“I think the key in the second half…well, we struggled in the whole game because we weren’t good on third down in the first half or the second half. What helped us with the no huddle was the plays we did were so good that we avoided third down. In the first half…we didn’t have a lot of success in the first half. That was obvious, but I thought that was because we didn’t do anything on third down. We got one third down in the first half, and on that third down, we scored. On the opening drive, we converted a third-and-one. We went all the way down really to the two-yard-line. It got negated by a penalty, and then we didn’t convert a third down the rest of the half. When you don’t convert third downs, it’s hard to have drives. I thought our running game did well, but we were punting. When we went to the second half, we went no huddle a lot. I think we had two third downs I want to say, out of the first 23 plays. We were one-of-two on them. Actually I believe we were zero-for-two on them. To me, what helped us wasn’t necessarily the success of the no huddle. It was the success of running the ball to where we didn’t have to face third down because we struggled on third down all game.”

 

On averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry against Pittsburgh and if that’s expectation for him or something that’s surprising:

“I’d like to say that we expect to run for six yards-per-carry every time, but I don’t think that’s been done before over the course of a year. It’s setting the bar a little bit high, but I would love for that to be our goal. Every time we call a run play we expect all 11 guys to block. We’re trying to score on every play. You rarely do, but our goal is to score. We’re not just calling runs to get three yards and stuff. We’re trying to be as explosive in the run game as in the pass game. I was excited for the guys because they made a big commitment to it – to working hard in the run game. I was excited for them to have some success and see it work. Hopefully we can work off it this week.”

 

On if the success they had in the no huddle had more to do with how well they were playing or with a vulnerability they saw in Pittsburgh:

“It’s both. It’s something we did when I was in Washington also. It’s just a package you can always go to. A lot of it has to do with what (defensive) fronts we’re going against and everything. Philly did have some success with them in the preseason, but this is a totally different type of no huddle so it really doesn’t relate. It was more about the looks we thought we would get and whether we thought those plays would be good against them. It worked, and so we stayed with it. If it didn’t, we probably would have got out of it.”

 

On what his take is on wordy play-calls, how long his play-calls are and if they can be streamlined:

“It all depends. The more words that you put in there, the more the other 10 guys don’t have to memorize. You don’t just make things wordy to make it harder for people. You make things wordy to make it easier for the other 10 guys. If you ever have a quarterback who’s really struggling with it then you make it easier and you put more on the other 10 guys. You like to put the most on the quarterback for him to repeat after the coach. I’ve got to be able to say it. Then if he can say it, it makes the other 10 guys jobs a lot easier.”

 

On if the process of getting all those words in affects the pace of the whole offense:

“It hasn’t for the last seven years, and everywhere else I’ve ever been it hasn’t. I don’t think it’s too big of a deal.”

 

On if he’ll be able to throw WR Josh Gordon right into the mix if he’s allowed to come back after the NFLPA votes on the NFL drug policy:

“Yeah, if Josh is able to play this week, I’d like to get him out there. I think he would help.”

 

On his thoughts on RB Terrance West and RB Isaiah Crowell’s performances on Sunday:

“I thought they did a good job. We expected for West to get some carries with Crowell being our third back. Then when (RB Ben) Tate went down, they kind of flipped roles where West was our main guy and Crowell was (the second back). I thought they had some really good runs. They got a little bit tired going into the no huddle just like the other 22 guys on the field did. There were a couple of times where we didn’t block it. We blocked it for about negative three. West had one where we blocked it for about negative three and he picked up 20. We did a hell of a job making some guys miss. They didn’t hit every hole right. They had a couple that they miss. That’s expected from rookie backs. It’s expected from any back. I just hope they get better this week and learn from some of the success they had last week and some of the mistakes they made also.”

 

On if he likes where the offensive line is:

“To have the success we did, I was obviously pretty happy with. At times they did real well, and then there were a few things that we missed that they know from. We do it over and over every week. I think they’ll get better from it throughout the year. Going into that game, they were good at the stuff we were expecting. They missed a couple of looks that we weren’t expecting. The more reps they get, the more they get playing in it, the more they’ll be able to adjust to that. I feel we’ll get better as we go. Just stay healthy. You have continuity. That’s the main thing with having those guys out there.”

 

On how he thinks running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery has done with the backs:

“I think Wilbert has done a great job. I never knew Wilbert until we brought him in here. I’ve known of him from being a fan of his when I was younger when he was a player. I’ve known him from just being a coach and what he’s done with the Rams and Baltimore. He demands a lot out of his players. He does a hell of a job. He works as hard as anyone I’ve been around, and he’s a real good person also.”

 

On if he has the mindset that it’s going to be a shootout against the Saints and if he maybe doesn’t want to give them the ball quickly:

“Not really. I’ve got a lot of respect for their offense and everyone else does too, but if you think that way, you’re not going to call a game right. You’ve got to call a game to put your players in a position to win, a position to be successful. If you worry about what the other offense is doing, you’re not doing what’s best for your players. I try to not think about that stuff and just take it one step at a time. Whatever the scoreboard says, I’ll adjust to that, but you don’t really go in thinking anything like that.”

 

On if he thinks that sometimes QB Brian Hoyer gets in trouble when he hurries himself:

“At times, I think all quarterbacks are like that. You’ve got to keep your same rhythm throughout a game, and by rhythm I mean just the tempo of your drop and your feet and going through progressions. You don’t want to speed anything up and force it. If people are taking somebody, relax, hitch up and go to the next one. If someone double-teams a guy, it opens up a hole somewhere else. You don’t have to force it in there. Sometime when you have max-protection and you don’t have as many people out on a route, that can happen, but if you can get five eligibles out on a route or at least four and they’re playing zone, someone is going to be open. Whoever they take away,  it opens up another area, and you’ve just got to progress.”

 

On if he saw Hoyer’s comfort grow from the first half to the second half:

“Yeah, I think everyone’s did. When you start running the ball like that, it opens up a lot of things. It got us a lot of bootlegs and stuff like that – a lot of people more open than usual. Whenever you can have success going down the field like that and scoring some points, it helps everybody, coaches included.”

 

On what points he’s emphasizing to Hoyer this week in terms of facing Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan:

“In terms of going against their defenses, just really to not get too set on anything you see on tape. You never know what you’re going to get from Rob. I’ve faced him a lot being in Washington while he was in Dallas. He’s got a hell of a scheme. Everything you see on tape makes sense. He does a lot of stuff. I’ve learned if you work on all that stuff too hard, you’re probably not going to see it on Sunday. It could be a whole different thing, so you’ve just got to be able to go out there, relax, know your plays, go through progression. If you see something you haven’t seen before, don’t panic. We’ll come to the sidelines. We’ll talk about it and always be ready to adjust.”

 

On if they still would have kept Crowell if he didn’t have the game he had against Chicago:

“That was a decision…you’ve really got to ask someone else, but I know there were a bunch of guys battling for that third spot. Going into that game, we had two guys who were locked in and it could have gone any way for that third spot. He wasn’t locked in at all. He did well which helped him. It wasn’t just the guys on the team; they’re competing against other people in the league who are getting let off of other rosters. For him to have a good game like that, it definitely made it an easier decision for the people who make it to keep him.”

 

On if he’ll have a package for QB Johnny Manziel available for this week:

“As far as a Johnny package, like I said last week, a package is running our offense. Johnny is not a wildcat quarterback. If our starting quarterback gets injured or something like that, then your backup quarterback comes in. You hope he can run the offense and execute it. There are obviously plays that Johnny would do that Brian wouldn’t, but that usually has to do with the health of your quarterback and how the game is going.”

 

On if it really has more to do with Hoyer’s health and he wouldn’t put Manziel in as just a change of pace:

“Probably not, but that always depends on what you’re going against – what the looks are – how everything is going as a whole. There are really no absolutes, but week in and week out, it has to do with what I see on tape with who we’re going against.”

 

On if the third down play near the goal line where Hoyer turned the wrong way on a handoff would have been a first down if he had turned the right way:

“Yeah, it was third-and-one. I think we would have gotten a first down.”

 

On if they would have scored:

“Possibly. We were on the seven-yard-line. I just wanted to a yard. I think we would have had a good chance to get three tries from the six. I can’t say if we would have scored or not, but hopefully, I think we would have at least got the first down.”

 

On if has showed the players film of the Redskins winning at New Orleans two years ago:

“No, players don’t care (laughs). I really don’t care either, just like you guys don’t care (laughs). All that matters is that we how do this week.”

 

On it being a big deal:

“It was. It was fun for about 15 hours, and then I had to go on with the rest of my life.”

 

On if the game plan would be drastically affected if Browns TE Jordan Cameron can’t play on Sunday:

“Yeah, it affects how we look at everything. When you put together a game plan, a third down package, everything you do it affects it – who you want to get the ball to with matchups and stuff. I’m used to being in this situation. A lot of times you never know who’s going to be up, so you’ve got to have plans for both and make sure when it is a game-time decision and things like that that you’re not depending on the decision. You’re ready for it and you can go either way.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN – BROWNS AT STEELERS – RUNNING BACKS

Both teams now feel they have a feature back. The Steelers with Le’Veon Bell, last year’s second round pick out of Michigan State and the Browns with free agent signee Ben Tate who comes over from the Texans.

Bell and his back-up Legarrette Blount, are lucky to be playing because both are facing marijuana possession charges, and Bell also has a possible DUI charge to deal with. The Steelers, who could have suspended one or both, have decided to wait for due process to play out, thus allowing both running backs to play in the opener. Another reason the Steelers are probably letting both play is because the only other running back they have on the roster is rookie 3rd round pick Dri Archer from Kent State.

Bell racked up over 1,200 yards rushing and receiving last season in Pittsburgh while Blount accumulated over 700 yard rushing in New England. The two combined for 15 touchdowns last season. So Pittsburgh has its starter and a solid back-up, plus a rookie with 4.2 speed in Archer that offensive coordinator Todd Haley and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can use. That’s a pretty good trio.

The Browns were led in rushing last year by Willis McGahee, but he only gained 377 yards and reached the endzone just twice. The Browns as a team only rushed for a total of 4 TD’s all of last season. So new G.M. Ray Farmer signed Ben Tate to be his feature back and then drafted Terrance West in the third round out of Towson to be his back-up. The third stringer is undrafted rookie Isaiah Crowell. Tate gained almost 800 yards playing for the injured Arian Foster last year in Houston and scored 4 touchdowns in 14 games. Now he gets his chance to be the Browns every down back running behind the better of the two offensive lines in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.  He must hold on to the football and stay healthy for this free agent signing to be a success, something that Tate has had problems with in his career.

Even with the lessor of the two O-Line’s, I like the Steelers running backs better because they’ve got two healthy starters and a speedster to mix in as a change of pace.

RUNNING BACKS  ADVANTAGE – PITTSBURGH

MIKE PETTINE ON RANKING QB’S IN THE DRAFT and JOHNNY MANZIEL

So have the Browns made up their mind on who their top QB is in the draft and what does head coach Mike Pettine think of Johnny Manziel?

 

Mike Pettine Photo 3

Roda Report: Browns Cheerleaders, Bortles Not Ready, Adam Silver’s Statement

 If you missed Wednesday’s “Roda Report” with Andy Baskin & Jeff Phelps on 92.3 The Fan you can listen to it right here –http://cbsloc.al/1o3Oj6g

10 QUARTERBACK OPTIONS FOR THE BROWNS

As the Browns begin workouts for the upcoming 2014 season, they now know who, when and where they are playing. They also think they know who their quarterback is for this year as Brian Hoyer is recovering from an ACL tear and looks to be on schedule to be the team’s starting signal caller on Sunday, September 7th in Pittsburgh.

But what if Hoyer has a setback and isn’t ready? Even if he is ready, is Hoyer the quarterback for the future? If not, who is? These are all questions that owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager Ray Farmer, head coach Mike Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan are asking themselves, and each other.Jimmy Haslam Photo

As the May 8th NFL Draft draws closer and closer, the Browns brass better have multiple plans to address their quarterback situation for the here and now, as well as for next year and beyond. With that in mind here are some options the Browns will consider as they try to find that franchise quarterback, or at least, a quarterback who they feel can lead this team for the next few years.

Option 1:                                                                                                                                                     Roll the dice and draft who you think the best quarterback is with the 4th overall pick in the draft. Your candidates would be Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Derek Carr or Teddy Bridgewater.

Option 2:
Roll the dice in a different way and pass on the QB at pick #4 and take the best player available, and then come back at #26 and take the best quarterback that is still left on your board.

Option 3:
Go with the best player available strategy again at pick #4 and then see how far some of these quarterbacks fall in the first round, and if the one you like continues to slide but you don’t think he’ll be there at #26, then make a trade to move up in the first round and get that guy. You have plenty of draft picks to use as trade chips.

Option 4:                                                                                                                                                      Really roll the dice and pass on taking a quarterback at all in round one, and then, with your 2nd round pick at #35, you finally select a QB from the guys that are left, and who is ranked highest on your board.

Option 5:
Wait until the later rounds and draft a quarterback that you think is a sleeper because of your personal information, private workouts and interviews.

Option 6:
Take the best player available at #4 and then wait and see what the Buccaneers do at pick #7. I had one source tell me the Bucs might have some interest in Johnny Manziel if he would fall to them at #7. If he does, and they select him, then you could inquire about whether or not Tampa might be willing to trade last year’s 3rd round pick, quarterback Mike Glennon who started 13 games for the Buccaneers last season, going (4-9) while throwing for over 2,600 yards with 19 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

Option 7:
If you don’t really believe in any of the quarterbacks in this year’s class to be your franchise QB of the future, another trade possibility to look into would be with the Washington Redskins for Kirk Cousins. One source told me Washington realizes they’re probably going to lose him down the road to free agency and might be willing to deal him for a 2nd or 3rd round pick so they at least get something in return for him as opposed to him just walking away in free agency after 2015. Plus the Skins don’t have a first round pick this year due to the RG3 trade, so they are looking to add picks. Browns could offer a 3rd or a 4th for him, but not a 2nd.

Option 8:
Another potential trade target is Ryan Mallett of the New England Patriots. Mallett has learned under, and has been Tom Brady’s back up for three years. However the 6’6 – 245 pound signal caller has thrown just 4 NFL passes during the regular season. Bill Belichick made the decision to draft him in the 3rd round in 2011, but with Mallett set to become a free agent after this 2014 season, Belichick has to make another decision. Is Mallett the Pats quarterback of the future, or do they trade him and at least get a draft pick for him before he leaves through free agency at the end of this year? Mike Lombardi loved him and would have been working the phones with his buddy Belichick, but Lombardi is gone and now it’s Ray Farmer’s call. How much, if at all, does Farmer like Mallet, and what would the Browns be willing to give up in the draft to trade for him?

Option 9:
The Browns go with Brian Hoyer as their starter for 2014. Add veteran QB Rex Grossman as his back up in free agency and then use two of their ten draft picks at some point on quarterbacks they like and see if one or the other can develop into a starting quarterback.

Option 10:
Wait until after the 2014 season and go after a free agent quarterback during the 2015 off season. Potential candidates are Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith, Andy Dalton, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates and you own Brian Hoyer. Maybe Hoyer proves this year that his performance last year wasn’t “fool’s gold” and you resign him as your starter.

If I was able to come up with ten legitimate quarterback options for the Browns as they approach this draft, I’m sure JH3 and the boys have at least ten more that I haven’t even thought of as they continue to search for the one thing that has eluded this organization since their return to the NFL in 1999, a franchise quarterback.

*Bonus Option

After hearing Browns G.M. Ray Farmer’s press conference from 4-28-14 add these two names as options for the Browns at quarterback – Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen will get tryouts with the Browns during minicamp this week. 

WHAT TYPE OF QB DO THE BROWNS WANT IN THE DRAFT?

So whose quarterback model will the Cleveland Browns follow? I’ve been looking in my crystal ball that Bill Belichick loaned me to try and find out. Will it be that of the big, strong quarterbacks like Ben Rothlisberger in Pittsburgh and Joe Flacco in Baltimore, who have a total of 3 Super Bowl wins? Could it be that of the Cincinnati Bengals who have, at best, an average quarterback in Andy Dalton, but have surrounded him with a lot of offensive weapons? Or might they go with the smaller, more mobile quarterback like the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson?

New G.M. Ray Farmer must decide which way he feels is best for this Browns team. If the owner has any influence, and I believe he does because Jimmy Haslam III has taken a more hands on approach, I’ve got to believe JH3’s preference would be that of the bigger framed, more prototypical drop back type quarterback who can take a hit or two and not miss many games. This is what has been successful in the AFC North and it’s what Haslam saw when he was a minority owner with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With that in mind, it would lead one to believe that the quarterbacks the Browns would be targeting then are Blake Bortles early in the first round, or guys like Derek Carr, A.J. McCarron or Zack Mettenberger later in the draft.

However maybe I’m way off base and Farmer and Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the boys in Berea are feeling lucky and are willing to roll the dice on quarterback who prefers to roll the pocket and make plays with his feet as well as his arm. If that’s the case, then Johnny Manziel would be the guy.

Give Ray Farmer credit, in his first year on the job he’s keeping everyone guessing as to which way the Browns will go. However, while Farmer hasn’t tipped his hand as to which type, or which quarterback he likes best, the one thing I do know for sure is, the Browns with 10 picks in this draft, will use at least one, or maybe even two of those picks on a quarterback. That’s the one thing that is crystal clear about this draft for the Browns!