Trends of Teams Developing, Acquiring Star Quarterbacks, Cycle for Browns to Get Their Own

The Cleveland Browns, by their actions, have made their intentions clear at the quarterback position. Looking at the trends of teams have that drafted and developed top quarterbacks and what it would take for the Browns to do the same.

One of the ways the Cleveland Browns could attack the quarterback position is through the NFL Draft and they might be in a better position than one might think. Especially over the past d to insure the success at the position and showed a shift in the types of quarterbacks that teams seek.

Even if the Browns and Baker Mayfield find a way to run it back in 2022, the team's pursuit of Deshaun Watson has made it clear they will not settle on anything less than a premier passer, a reasonable position for them trying to win the Super Bowl to take. Given the doubts raised by the Browns, whether it's Mayfield or another bridge quarterback, the Browns will still be looking at avenues to attack the quarterback position, which could include the NFL Draft.

So much depends on supply, but if a player a team wants is there, it's been shown time and time again that a team can figure out a way to get them, often trading up to do it. The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to get Patrick Mahomes, the Buffalo Bills traded up to get Josh Allen and the Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first round to get Lamar Jackson.

It's more important that the team is successful and offers consistency. Success may not necessarily mean contending year over year, but having having  strong talent base and stability within the organization is important.

The Ravens and Bills were 9-7 the year before they acquired their quarterbacks while the Chiefs were 12-4.

It takes pressure off the quarterback to carry the team early while also ensuring they aren't forced to learn several offensive systems and build relationships with new coaching staffs during the most important time of their development. If the organization is secure, the entire focus becomes ensuring the success of the quarterback. That starts with when they are ready to play. Mahomes, Jackson and Allen sat at least part of their rookie seasons.

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Stability is an area where the Browns have been as dreadful as any team in the league. The Browns have had nine different head coaches in the time that John Harbaugh has been head coach of the Ravens. Andy Reid is closing in on a decade with the Chiefs. Sean McDermott has been the head coach for Josh Allen's entire run.

Baker Mayfield, the most successful quarterback for the Browns since the 90's, has had four different head coaches in four NFL seasons. Whatever Mayfield may lack at the position, that did not do him any favors.

If ownership is truly committed to Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry, willing to play this out for another three to four years, it will increase the chances of success for the quarterback the Browns would select.

Quarterback rookie deals are valuable and offer a competitive advantage. A good quarterback on a rookie deal not only enables teams to invest more to improve in other places on the roster, but players are more inclined to be interested in teams with a chance to contend, even occasionally willing take less money to do so, creating a snowball effect.

It's enabling the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers to load up on talent around Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. Allen is on his fifth-year option, the last season before his contract balloons on his extension. Herbert is entering year three of his rookie deal, giving them a three-year window.

Average to above average quarterbacks on rookie deals have value simply because the rest of the roster has the capability of carrying them into contention. The Joe Flacco led Ravens won the Super Bowl under these circumstances.

That is the evaluation of Mayfield by the Browns to this point as illustrated by their pursuit of Watson. Good enough to win games and make the playoffs but not good enough to carry a team or be a serious contender. When the money escalates, it's time to move on in pursuit of a top passer or another cost effective option.

So it not only benefits a team to have reasonably established roster to help develop a quarterback, the financial implications dovetail to reward that approach.

Put together a team with a foundation of talent with a stable organization. Then go get the quarterback, who will likely have a better chance of reaching their potential, keep adding and then push for the Super Bowl. Should that fail, but the roster is good enough to contend, go all in on an upper tier veteran quarterback if one is available.

That is the approach the Los Angeles Rams took with Jared Goff, trading for Matthew Stafford. They went to the Super Bowl with Goff, but won it with Stafford. The Denver Broncos are trying to do it for the second time. The first, they were able to sign a free agent Peyton Manning, who helped guide them win a Super Bowl. Now, after drafting Drew Lock, who was unsuccessful, they have acquired Russell Wilson.

The Browns could simply be looking to skip the draft stage and go right for the veteran, but they should keep their options open as neither is guaranteed to be available.

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The evaluation process of quarterbacks has been evolving for the last few decades in the type of quarterback prospect some teams are targeting. These teams are looking at quarterbacks with exceptional traits more over polish. It bears similarity to how the NBA Draft often works.

Go for a player with incredible arm talent, both in terms of raw strength and velocity but the ways they are ablet to deliver the football. Get someone with size and mobility or game changing athleticism.

At that point, the team is betting on a player's work ethic combined with their ability as an organization to develop them. That is how the NBA works. There, players are so young, they often have little option but to bet on these type of traits.

It's a high risk, high reward scenario with notable examples all across the spectrum, ranging from stars like Lamar Jackson, the MVP of the league in 2019 to Josh Allen to Justin Herbert to players that didn't pan out including Drew Lock, a journeyman, and Paxton Lynch, which was a total bust.

Mentioning two Broncos draft picks that didn't work only highlights the way they have embraced this thought process. Those players failed, but they won a Super Bowl with this blueprint and they could end up with another.

Former Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer could be looked at through this lens. Big, mobile with a strong arm. He also exemplifies how an organization can mishandle a player like that, sabotaging any potential he might have had.

There are other traits teams are looking for in these quarterback prospects such as accuracy, processing speed, their ability to operate under pressure and out of structure. They aren't just drafting a body, but it's certainly a part of the equation. And in a world where teams might only be keeping a player for the length of their rookie deal, perhaps a little longer, teams are emboldened to utilize quarterback's legs as a featured part of the offense.

It's easier to succeed on offense and create passing windows when a defense has an extra threat to defend. The quarterback's ability to run is increasing his threat as a passer.

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Lamar Jackson is currently the best example of this in the NFL. When teams are stretched thin because they have to worry about his ability to break the game open as a runner, he can take advantage finding receivers down the field. At times when he is forced to operate from the pocket over stretches of the game, the results aren't as good as the defense has less to worry about, can focus on stopping the passing game.

Jackson's presence creates so much space on offense, forcing teams to defend the entire field, which immediately gives the Ravens an advantage. The Bills, Chiefs, and Chargers also have excellent spacing. They acquire complimentary talent to boost it, but so much of it starts with the quarterback.

The name that immediately comes to mind in the 2022 NFL Draft is Malik Willis out of Liberty University. The former Auburn transfer is around 220lbs, has electrifying athleticism and ability to escape, also possessing outstanding arm strength. 

Teams can look at his traits and see where he could become a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. He still needs plenty of work and there is risk he may never get anywhere near that level, but a team is going to bet on Willis as well as their ability to get that out of him. It's increasingly likely that will occur in the top 10 picks.

If the Browns see that potential in him, they could certainly be in the mix to acquire him either at 13th pick or even trade up to get him. They have the talent base to succeed. It's almost entirely a question of whether this organization can be stable enough to probably support him.

There may be other quarterbacks the Browns could see in this light. Willis simply stands out as the most obvious example. In the event they don't see it in these quarterbacks or are simply unable to acquire them, this may be the process the Browns employ as they search for their answer at quarterback. 

Continue to build up the roster, try to go big on a premier veteran option should the opportunity arise, then look to draft a quarterback with game breaking traits they hope to develop into a star. Repeat as necessary.