Cleveland Browns: Brock Osweiler starting the first preseason game means very little
By Ryan Rosko
Being named the starting QB for the preseason for the Cleveland Browns and getting the call for Week 1 of the regular season are two completely different opportunities.
The Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback competition is not going to end any time soon. Thursday versus the New Orleans Saints, the Browns will get their first shot at analyzing what they have n the 2017 season versus an opposing offense/defense other than their own.
Given that Cleveland will still have three other preseason games after Thursday, assuming the starting quarterback for Thursday is the guy, could be the starter in the regular season is asinine.
On Monday morning, Browns head coach Hue Jackson announced that veteran Brock Osweiler will be starting Thursday night.
Hue Jackson on starting Brock Osweiler this Thursday: pic.twitter.com/Gq2XrLS7NA
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 7, 2017
Jackson’s first sentence says it all. However, since Osweiler has not done much with the ones as Jackson touched on, he still deserved to start versus the Saints in Jackson’s eyes.
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Well, I suppose he deserves a chance to do that in live-game action, but if Osweiler can’t do enough in practice to surpass the other three signal-callers then believing he deserves to start Thursday is head-scratching.
Then again, it is the first preseason game. It is not like it is the third game where the starters play the majority of the game. Osweiler could play a few drives or as much as just the first quarter.
Cody Kessler has not been impressive so far. Kevin Hogan is nothing more than a third-stringer. Rookie DeShone Kizer continues to make strides and he has a lot of tools to work with. The potential of what he could become (maybe sooner than later is evident).
Yet, he is a rookie and if Cleveland started him in the preseason opener, the reaction would not be preferred. Kizer could play this season (if he has to or shows that he made the necessary improvements) but give him a little time first.
Thus, Osweiler starts by default. We will see quite a bit of Kessler and Kizer regardless. The only bad thing with that is the opposing defensive players lining up against those quarterbacks will be second and/or third strings.
In the meantime, Osweiler can start and play as needed. Don’t forget, Cleveland can move on from his contract after this season and they like Kizer a lot. Besides, the former Arizona State quarterback wasn’t even the most exciting part of the trade that landed him. The Houston Texans’ second round pick was.
It is just a matter of time before changes are made to the depth chart. Should Osweiler still be starting in the preseason come the third game, then maybe people., including myself would have to view the position differently.
Until (if) that happens, overreactions are not needed and the quarterback battle will play out accordingly. At the end of the preseason, Osweiler very well could be starting for Cleveland.
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If he is though, he is just a bridge-quarterback until Kizer is ready. The lack of experience and talent (not including Kizer, who does not have the experience) overall are reasons why the depth chart is the way it is right now.