Browns Plans For Brock Osweiler Have Changed, For Now

Brock Osweiler was destined to leave Cleveland without ever stepping foot in the city. Now, his situation has forced him into the Browns plans.

Brock Osweiler is still on the Browns, and since Jimmy Haslam is on the hook to pay him $16 million this year, the team is finally coming to the realization that they’re probably going to have to let him play, or at the very least, practice.

Once again, the Factory of Sadness is running like a fine-tuned machine.

Hue Jackson threw a bunch of coach speak up against the wall in an interview for the Path to the Draft, which will air on the NFL Network March 27, via the Morning Journal.

"“Obviously, he’s a player on our team and we’re going to treat him just like we do all of our other quarterbacks until he’s not,” Coach Hue Jackson told Steve Wyche…“He’s a guy that’s going to come in and compete.”“We haven’t had an opportunity to meet with him from a football standpoint because of the rules. But once we start our offseason program, Phase One, we’ll get a chance to know him and he’ll get to know us.”"

It was widely believed Osweiler was going to be traded or released after the Browns acquired him in a deal that also netted a second-round draft choice.

Three weeks later, and Brock’s still hanging around as the most seasoned quarterback on the roster. Osweiler went 8-6 for the Texans last season, throwing for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. In 2015, Osweiler went 5-2 for the Broncos.

The news that Osweiler is kind-of-sorta in the Browns plans isn’t something most fans were expecting when Cleveland made the trade, but with that said, Osweiler’s still a long way from making the 52-man roster.

The Browns are expected to take a quarterback in the draft, unless some surprising trade for Jimmy Garoppolo changes the team’s plans.

Some believe a rookie quarterback means for certain that the Browns will part with Osweiler.

I’m not so sure. Kevin Hogan is a nice developmental prospect, but it’s not crazy to believe he may be the odd man out when the final roster is constructed.

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Cleveland needs someone who can stay healthy. Cody Kessler may start the year at quarterback, but he suffered two concussions last season, and that has to be a concern. Osweiler carries the stigma of that contract around, but as of right now, you can at least argue he’s durable and has won NFL games. Yes, shake your head. The bar is that low.

The draft should provide some clarity heading into the spring practices. With the Browns trending toward defense with their first two picks, Cleveland should take a quarterback with its next to selections (hopefully at 33). None of the quarterbacks in this crop, maybe with the exception of Deshaun Watson, look like day one starters. Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, and Davis Webb could all use some time holding the Microsoft Surface.

Next: What To Do With Josh Gordon?

It may be a longshot, but don’t count Brock out just yet.

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