Cleveland Browns QB Solution That Nobody Talks About

Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (5) against the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Colts won 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cleveland Browns have a ton of work to do before they can ever hope to be competitive again in the AFC North, let alone the rest of the league.

As always it begins and ends with the quarterback position. This is a team that has started three different players at that position just in 2016. Until they’re able to find talent and stability there, all hopes for a long overdue defrosting of their playoff hopes must be put on hold. The problem is what to do. Robert Griffin III was an experiment that never got off the ground. Cody Kessler was a forlorne hope at best. Josh McCown is approaching retirement.

Most eyes have turned to the draft. Barring a surprising turn of events the Browns will hold the #1 overall pick this coming April. That will give them a chance to take anybody of their choosing, including any of the top quarterbacks available. At the same time early reports warn there may not be one in this class worth that high a pick. Thus Cleveland is put in a conundrum. Either they overdraft a player who might not be worth it, take their chances on somebody in the 2nd round or find another alternative.

NFL Network analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks thought the problem over and believe there is one open to the Browns. It would involve something a bit unorthodox.

"“McCarron is a valuable trade chip. Would he return a first-round pick from a team like the Cleveland Browns? Hue Jackson is familiar with his skill set and McCarron already knows Jackson’s offensive system (Jackson was Cincinnati’s offense coordinator during McCarron’s first two seasons in the league). He would be an upgrade over any quarterback on the Browns’ roster, and Cleveland is loaded with 2017 draft picks.”"

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Indeed such trades within the division are exceedingly rare. Even though McCarron is a backup quarterback, the Bengals still would be reluctant to move him to Cleveland. That means the Browns might have to give up something extra to make it happen or Cincinnati would have to feel McCarron poses no real threat to them.

So far the former 5th round pick out of Alabama has played seven games in his career, four as a starter. He’s 2-2 with one of the losses being the playoff loss to Pittsburgh last January. McCarron has completed 66.4% of his passes for 854 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. His reputation is one for being a man who is a leader and won’t put the ball in harms way. Most would call that a game manager.

Cleveland will have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2017 draft. It’s not hard to think one of them would be enough to pry McCarron away from Cincinnati. In the absence of a superstar, he would at least be able to give the position more stability. That would allow the Jackson and the front office to focus on building the rest of the roster up.

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