Browns: Tim Couch would’ve had a much better career with this team

Tim Couch wouldn’t have been a star with these Browns but he would’ve been much better.

The Browns have a great quarterback right now in Baker Mayfield. They have a solid offensive line, a great running back, and a receiver corp that oozes talent. Save for Chubb, none of the guys they have is a top-five player at their position but they have a lot of talent nonetheless. This brought up a question between Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises and Mary Kay Kabot about which player from the past would excel on this version of the Browns. Kabot instantly named Tim Couch.

For those who don’t remember or don’t know, Couch was the Browns’ first player drafted in the revived franchise’s history, being taken in the top spot of the 1999 NFL Draft. Couch would start most of his first year, before getting injured in his second. Both seasons were disasters.

Couch would run into an organization that didn’t know what it wanted to be or who they wanted to acquire and were constantly making bad picks, poor signings, or just not even trying for trades. This led Couch’s best players over his first three seasons being converted-guard-to-left-tackle Ross Verba, second-round receiver Kevin Johnson and undrafted free agent running back Jamel White.

The Browns had no real offensive talent and this led to Couch forcing a lot of passes and getting hit even more.

Tim Couch would’ve been great on the modern Browns team but not a star

Couch’s mechanics made me think of Jared Goff. A low release that looks more like a slingshot release. Those quarterbacks always seem to struggle and boy, did Couch struggle. That doesn’t mean Couch couldn’t have been good, or even a Pro Bowler in the right situation.

The Browns of 2020 is the perfect team for Couch and was the one Butch Davis tried to give Couch in 2002 when Couch got a fresh new rookie running back in William Green, guys like White and Dennis Northcutt were given bigger roles, the Browns even acquired a new offensive lineman in Ryan Tucker and promoted Shaun O’Hara to starters on the offensive line.

They were average for their time as an offense but Couch finally had the best season of his career. He threw 18 touchdowns, 2800+ yards, and went 8-6 as the Browns starter. He missed two games due to injury and still had 18 interceptions but he looked like he finally had his legs under him. Then the arm injuries came and by 2004 he was done.

It’s very possible that in this offense Couch doesn’t get hit so many times and that allows him to stay healthy. With the talent at receiver and tight end (something he never had), Couch doesn’t feel the need to force throws.

Sure, he’d have a career more akin to Goff than say Tom Brady but even a career like Goff’s is better than the career Couch had.