The Cleveland Browns’ free agency signings from day one get graded

We’ve been doing smart stuff – Case Keenum

Let me be clear before anyone in the comments spin their own narrative. Case Keenum is a fine signing. He’s a good backup. A nice veteran presence. He’ll be there to barely throw touchdowns, and somehow, throw even fewer interceptions. He’ll be a perfectly adequate backup.

Backups don’t get $6 million a year.

Keenum does. That’s the ‘something stupid’ alluded to previously. Giving him $18 million over three years. Now, if this was, say the Tennessee Titans or the Los Angeles Chargers. Sure, ok, maybe you give a backup that kind of money. You have your team mostly set, and now you’re only plugging a few holes here or there.

The Browns are not ‘plugging a few holes’. Counting the positions of need the team took care of yesterday, the Browns have about 22 positions of need to address this offseason. There’s the three taken care of already; backup quarterback, tight end and one offensive starting tackles. Yet, there’s still the fullback, one slot receiver, one backup receiver, two more starters on the offensive line and one (more than likely two) backup linemen, two defensive tackles (more like three), three defensive ends (one starter), three starting linebackers, two starting safeties and for giggles, we’ll say a third general overall defensive back.

So yes, the team has more holes in it than the current administration’s plan for fighting deadly viruses.

If this team didn’t just let Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey go in free agency, never traded for Oliver Vernon, had retained Jabril Peppers somehow, and frankly just been a better ran and managed team, then sure. Give Keenum the money. Yet, that’s not the case. The team prioritized giving big money to a backup who has a history of not being very good instead of bringing back high caliber players, who’s release just created more need.

Keenum is 27-35 as a starting quarterback, and 16-32 without that one season in Minnesota. Which, by the way, was a replacement gig. The guy wasn’t even good enough to beat out hop-a-long Sam Bradford. Throughout his entire run in the NFL, he’s been a barely 60% passer and isn’t someone who can win you a game on his own.

His record is pretty telling about that fact. Signing XFL guys like Josh Johnson of the LA Wildcats, or P.J. Walker of the Houston Roughnecks at least gives you talent with experience, credibility and the chance to win.

Keenum had one good year, with Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and his then-offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. While Browns’ current head coach Kevin Stefanski was on the staff as a quarterback’s coach, he certainly had nothing to do with Keenum’s in-game performance. That’s all on the offensive play-callers.

It does suggest however that Stefanski can prep a quarterback, good news for Mayfield.

The move was a fine one, it fulfilled a need, but at what cost?

…At what cost?

Grade = C-