Andrew Berry Reiterates Key Trait Browns Want In Next Quarterback

The Cleveland Browns appear to know what they're looking for in their next quarterback.

"Decision-making" is a phrase that has been used on multiple occasions by Browns personnel this offseason. New offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was the first to mention it during his introductory press conference last month.

The term resurfaced at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, as general manager Andrew Berry met with the media to talk about the top trait they're looking for in a new QB.

"You want guys who make the decisions, they’re accurate and then that they can avoid conflict," Berry explained. "Because not everything goes perfectly on a given play and your quarterback’s got to be your great problem-solver during the game."

The emphasis on decision-making has left everyone connecting the dots on which quarterback Cleveland could be honing in on, with plenty of speculation that it's Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

Even Sanders himself said last month that he believes his decision-making is his No. 1 trait. Berry and company have plenty of tape from Sander's college days, both at Jackson State and Colorado, to back that up.

The Combine will offer another opportunity for the Browns to assess Sanders' and the other QB prospect's ability to problem solve.

"Talking to them during these settings and during the spring and really seeing how they think," Berry said of how they'll utilize their in-person meetings with quarterbacks. "Whether you talk through a successful play, or honestly, a lot of times what's more helpful is like, OK, let’s talk through an unsuccessful play and see what led to the decision and then ultimately what they learned from it."

That emphasis on decision-making doesn't stop with the rookie QBs though. Berry made it clear that any veteran options they consider will be measured the same way.

"[Decision making] is a big thing for us at the Browns, so that’s a must-have, guys that have that characteristic at an acceptable level or higher will be prioritized maybe relative to others," Berry said. "In some areas, it may be arm strength or anticipation or the ability to move and what you’re doing, you’re weighing these different bundles of characteristics and then ultimately aiming at the ones that have the most of what you desire."

Even if the Browns find the perfect veteran QB there is still another barrier to entry that rookies don't have. Veterans come at a cost, either in the form of money or trade compensation. That's a wrinkle that Berry and his staff will weigh in the coming weeks.

"The added layer on top is availability and cost," he said. "That’s not something that we’ll know for a couple weeks, but you do as much planning as you can because free agency and the trade market, they generally take different twist turns, or at least that has been our experience over the past five years."

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