Browns: Grading out all the 2020 free agents after year one
By Chad Porto
QB Case Keenum
Contract: 3 years/ $18 million
2020 Stats: 2 GP, 5 completions, 10 attempts, 46 Yards
Performance Grade: N/A
Contract Grade: F
Case Keenum is the 4th highest-paid backup in the NFL according to Fanbuzz.com. The only three backups higher than Keenum are the Raiders’ Marcus Mariota, the Saints’ Taysom Hill, and Washington’s Alex Smith. Here’s why Keenum has a worse deal than all of them. Mariota has an opt-out this offseason which the Raiders will surely activate, and save them $10 million in 2021. The Saints locked up Hill, who had 13 total touchdowns, went 3-1 as the Saints starter, and is in line to be their quarterback going forward. For Washington, Smith signed his deal expecting to be the starter before his leg broke like an over-fried chicken wing.
None of them were given a large, fat contract to backup a player simply because he knew the system. Honestly, that’s why Keenum got the deal. He’s not a “good ” quarterback. He’s a career 27-35 in starters, he’s only had one season of 20+ touchdowns, and after being given the keys to the city in Denver, he fell on his face.
The Browns could’ve signed two actual starters for the secondary with the money wasted on Keenum.