Pro Bowl QB Identified As Potential Browns Offseason Target

The Cleveland Browns are entering the offseason with massively important questions surrounding the organization. The elephant in the room is obviously Deshaun Watson. What happens with him considering his contract status and serious injury will be one of the biggest storylines in Cleveland until the start of next season.

The other big question is related to the Watson situation. The Browns have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The decision of whether to target a quarterback like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with that pick will likely determine the future of the franchise.

Another option would be to sign or trade for a veteran quarterback to be the starter next season. Kirk Cousins is a widely speculated name in that mold. Recently, however, there has been more noise surrounding another Pro Bowl QB. Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings is hitting free agency and Nick Shook of NFL.com believes he would be a good fit in Cleveland.

Darnold just had the best season of his career. After signing a one-year deal in Minnesota, Darnold was seen as a transition QB before J.J. McCarthy eventually took over. After the rookie suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season, Darnold started every game for the Vikings and had an unexpected Pro Bowl campaign.

Leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record, Darnold finished with 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 66.2% completion rate.

His finish to the season, however, left a bad taste in Vikings fans' mouths. Between the season finale against the Lions that determined the NFC North title and the Wild-Card round against the Rams, Darnold struggled immensely, and Minnesota only scored a total of 18 points.

This makes it more likely that the Vikings would be willing to let Darnold walk. The former No. 3 overall pick would be a worthy flyer for the Browns as he would be an immediate upgrade over all the options they had last season. Targeting a difference-maker like Travis Hunter with their first-round pick and using free agency to fill their need at QB could make a ton of sense for the Browns.

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