The Browns’ already weak quarterback situation is now bordering on catastrophe, and we’re still half a month from opening day.
Injuries have necessitated the signing of Pat Devlin, a 27-year old street free agent now on his fourth team and yet to make his regular season debut.
Let’s review the depth chart from top to bottom:
Josh McCown is in line to become the third-oldest quarterback ever to start a game for the Browns, his seventh NFL team. His career high in starts is 13 games, and that was back before the Browns traded away his younger brother a decade ago. The notion that he’ll hold down the position for all 16 games, which no Cleveland QB has done since 2001, is far-fetched, to say the least. He jammed his right ring finger against Buffalo but it didn’t keep him from practice.
Johnny Manziel appears to have straightened out his personal life a bit, but now he’s shelved with a sore right elbow. Coaches cite imperfect throwing technique for this recurring problem, but there’s apparently no structural damage at this point. Let’s hope for no further storyline similarity with the previous Browns QB to sport his jersey number.
Connor Shaw is a game young player well-liked by the coaches, despite his marginal arm strength. He held his own as a fill-in for last year’s finale and seemed likely headed for the practice squad this fall, but a thumb injury in the first pre-season game required surgery, and he’s probably headed for injured reserve.
Thaddeus Lewis is similar to Shaw, just a bit older. He too had one decent start to conclude a Browns season back in 2012, which was two head coaches ago for Cleveland and three teams ago for him. He and McCown are the only QBs expected to take snaps this Saturday against Tampa .
Around the league we’ve recently seen the Steelers pick up Michael Vick and the Falcons sign Rex Grossman, whom the Browns released last summer. In inking Devlin, they passed up Tyler Thigpen, who was around for part of 2014. He’s clearly a camp arm and a future speed-dial emergency option in case two of the remaining three QBs go down.
The big question mark here is how Manziel’s arm responds to rest and treatment. He seemed to solidify his claim to the top backup slot, but if his health is iffy, the Browns may need to keep three quarterbacks (i.e. including Lewis) on the 53-man roster, which I imagine they really don’t want to do.
And, of course, fans can’t help speculating about what this might mean for Terrelle Pryor, the ex-quarterback now struggling to stay healthy enough to establish his qualifications for a roster spot at receiver. His potential as an in-game disaster option (in case the only two active QBs both go down) may be a slight versatility factor in his favor. He’s started more games than Lewis, Shaw and Manziel combined. But it’s clear that all focus for him is on proving himself a viable route runner and pass catcher, not a passer, and his fate will rest on what he shows on tape in the next dozen days.
The conventional wisdom on the Browns is that their overall roster is stronger — especially in its depth — than it has been in the expansion era, but the game’s most important position remains a major question mark. That vulnerability is especially glaring in light of the injuries and the lack of viable alternatives.
