3 quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns should pursue besides Jimmy Garoppolo

The Cleveland Browns would have to overpay for Jimmy Garoppolo.

The idea that the Cleveland Browns would trade for Jimmy Garoppolo is, to me, hilarious. Not only is he overpaid, and the Browns would likely have to take on his entire salary for the year, minus the $1.4 million in dead cap the 49ers would ensure; but they’d also have to attach a fairly high draft pick, like a second or a third, or maybe multiple, considering the Browns don’t have any seconds until 2025.

I tihnk the Browns should stick with Jacoby Brissett this late into the process but that’s just what I think, and what historical precedent seems to show is the best course.

So yeah, this is hilarious. Especially when you consider how bad Garoppolo has been, especially in the playoffs. If you look at his regular season stats, he looks fairly talented. He has a 68% percentage, nearly double the touchdowns to interceptions, and avoids getting sacked.

Yet, he’s 20th in the NFL in passing attempts and there is a reason for that. When you look at his playoff numbers, the real Garoppolo comes out. His completion percentage falls nearly nine points to 60%, he has nearly twice as many interceptions to touchdowns, and his Y/A (yards gained per pass attempt) and his Y/P (yards gained per completion) go from 8.9 and 12.7 respectively to 7.2 and 12.4.

He’s only thrown for 200 yards twice, and three times threw for 131 or fewer yards in a game, with just 77 yards coming against the Packers in 2019. He’s not the savior. Kyle Shannahan, a coach who is much better than Kevin Stefanski, can not win with him. They’re replacing him with an untested second-year quarterback. That should tell you everything you need to know about Garoppolo.

Yet, th is isn’t all about how good or not good he is. In a vacuum, if he were a free agent, he’d be number one on this list. He’s a fine starter, but at the cost the Browns will have to pay, there are better options.

And these are the better options.

The Cleveland Browns should look towards these three first.

Nick Foles

He’s about the same age as Garoppolo, and has a history of not throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, so that’s a good thing. He doessn’t take a lot of sacks, usually, and he has a winning record. That’s a good resume. Plus he could be had for a late round pick more than likely.

Taylor Heinicke

In his first real season starting Taylor Heinicke looked good. Not great, but good enough for the Browns to acquire him and make him their starter. Considering how ineptly ran the Commanders are, a fifth round pick should probably seal the deal. After all, this is the same team that actively acquired Carson Wentz to start, so clearly they don’t have the best eye for talent.

Gardner Minshew

I honestly think Gardner Minshew is a Top 15 quarterback when given the chance to play, and had he been acquired in July, I would think the Browns are playoff team with Minshew. Yet, it’ll take at least two or three months to fully grasp the playbook, hence why so many teams start minicamps in June. So even if he were acquired he’d be dealnig with a minimal playbook for at least the first half of the season, if not longer.

Just stick with Brissett.