Somebody Will Pay Brian Hoyer If Cleveland Browns Don’t

Nov 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer (6) calls out the play in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns are still on the fence about whether or not to hand Brian Hoyer a new contract.  One thing is certain.  Somebody will.  NFL teams so often prefer veteran quarterbacks to rookies, for experience of course but also their ability to absorb offenses quickly.  So if they could land one who only just turned 29-years old and has the Browns on track to making the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, then that is somebody they will pay to have.

Okay, maybe it won’t be that extreme.  Hoyer hasn’t lit up the stat sheets by any stretch but he’s been very efficient with the football and used the entire offensive arsenal as a seasoned pro should.  That is more than a lot of quarterback have done so far  in 2014.

Where the Cleveland Browns brass are getting hung up is their investment in 1st round pick Johnny Manziel.  What are they supposed to do with him if they just decide to throw their money behind Hoyer instead?  It’s a fair dilemma but the fact is they were never going to keep one without sacrificing the other.  At some point the Browns will have to make a decision.  Either go with the hometown kid who isn’t pretty but is winning games or stay the course with the original plan and take the gamble on Manziel.

One thing is clear, the NFL is salivating at getting one or the other away from them.