Kizer is the Kaiser in Cleveland

You tell me...this was from March and he is supposedly working out on the side with a few different groups throwing/catching.

 

Obviously Kizer has impressive arm talent. He can use the whole field, and the offense is not limited at all when he is out there. Watching Kizer throw those 12 yard and 18 yard out patterns is a thing of beauty. He has the kind of arm needed in the harsh elements in Cleveland. But with Deshone it really IS about so much more than his throwing ability. He is intelligent and respectful. He carries himself like a true franchise QB should. Knows the right things to say, and proper questions to ask. Very engaged in his craft and proffessional. Always looking to improve, and knowing where he needs the most work. I remember reading a scouting report on Kizer shortly after we drafted him that basically called him a "me person", that was selfish, arrogant and unlikable....None of that has proven to be true. In fact, he's been the exact opposite. Always complimenting his teammates. Even the ones he's competing against.

Deshone Kizer is confident in himself. He has learned the playbook. He has the respect of that locker room because he has earned it the right way. He has put in the time and ascended each day that he's been a Cleveland Brown. They didn't hand him the job. Deshone took it. He started at the bottom and his abilities, across the board, just shined through...I think we finally got a good one. And he has all the potential and desire to be truly great. That is something for Browns to get genuinely excited about...

To my absolute disgust, they simply can't mention the Browns on the networks without immediately rambling on about our QB misery, and the 26 other QB's that have come before Mr. Kizer.... I'm really looking forward to Deshone putting an end to that chatter forever...

 

Man... Hue loves this guy.

Hue Jackson stands by his man, says Deshone Kizer has 'the right stuff'

Pretty clear from reading this article that Kessler was never his pick. Kizer, on the other hand...

#TrustMe

Just to be clear... I'm not being salty about Kessler. I'm genuinely happy Hue feels this way about his guy because it means there's a pretty good chance we head into the 2018 offseason without *gasp* being pegged to take a quarterback early.

 

Hallelujah brother!!! If I have to hear he will be the 27th starting QB one more freaking time, I might throw something. We have a whole week and a half and hopefully won't have to hear about it ever again.

 

I agree, however, I'm hearing too many reports about Kessler being on his way out the door. Despite his lack of starter qualities, he has exactly what you are looking for in a career backup. I don't understand why he would be going out the door...that is a little disturbing, unless he has been less than helpful in the transition to Kizer becoming the starter and he is disgruntled that he wasn't given the starters job after last year's performance.

Seems strange..

 

I've heard him mentioned as a trade target - of the two Browns QBs, obviously no one wants to trade for Osweiler but Kessler (with a very team-friendly contract) is at least in play. The flip side to that argument is why would the Browns keep a mopey, below-average $16M backup on the books? Even if Kessler is being a shill, I'd prefer a $604K one to a $16M one.

 

And like you say... Cody Kessler is the best backup QB in the NFL. Given the current slate of starting QBs, he's easily a starter on 5-6 other teams.

 

Well...I'm not hearing the $16M man will be the backup...I'm hearing it would be Hogan

SO, if what you say is true, they may be able to flip Kessler for a draft pick or maybe a WR, get rid of Osweiler for a prayer and $1M off his salary, keep Hogan to be Kizer's primary backup, or sign a veteran QB to come in for mentoring purposes. I'm pretty sure though, Hue wants to be Kizer's personal mentor.

 

I guess we are always going to disagree on this guy. To me, it doesn't seem that strange that we might part ways with Cody K.. He wasn't great last year, and I don't know what the hell is wrong with him this year, but it's not good on the football field. I do agree with you that he's got back-up qualities. I've said all along that Kessler's ceiling is about that of Brian Hoyer or Colt McCoy. Same type of QB. Solid if you need him in a pinch, but I wouldn't want to rely on him on a weekly basis. If the Browns announced next week that they have decided to go with Kizer, Osweiller and Hogan, it wouldn't be that shocking....Maybe mildly surprising.

 

I was under the impression that Hue hand picked Kessler.

Kevin Hogan appears to be listed as the #2 on the depth chart. If the Browns can't move Osweiler I would not be surprised to see them move either Kessler or Hogan and keep Brock on.

They're looking for a return on one of their quarterbacks and it appears they are willing to sell someone other than Brock if they have too.

My largest concern with this scenario is that Jackson appears all in with a quarterback that has done just enough to beat out a room full of questionable signal callers.

I know we disagree on Kizer a great deal so this next opinion won't be popular with you Irish -

The positive scenarios would be: If the Browns go with Kizer and he succeeds they have lost nothing and gained a potential long term answer at the position. If the Browns go with Kizer and he fails they are set to take a quarterback in a class that may have 5 very good prospects declaring.

The worst case scenario would be for DeShone to play well enough for Cleveland to need to trade off multiple picks to try and move up to striking distance in the quarterback race of 2018, or he plays just well enough for the Browns to pass on one putting Hue in the position of possibly not having his franchise passer locked in prior to his 3rd season (something I feel he needs to have for long term job security, the continuity that Cleveland desperately needs). It would put them in a situation where they might miss out on a chance at a franchise passer or make them spend a lot of the draft capital they have consistently acquired (or potential future capital).



I hope I'm wrong about Kizer and he proves to be the answer in Cleveland. It would give them a leg up on the rebuild and put them in a situation to add more weapons and make more moves in the draft that sees them staying ahead of the curve in the off-season.

 

What depth chart are you looking at Tim? I see Hogan on every site, including the Browns "unofficial depth chart" at #4 behind Osweiler #2 and Kessler #3

 

I'll go back through my feed and find it, but it was sometime through the weekend that it showed up.

 

It was a hit from the plain dealer by Cabot on the 27th but it was suggesting that Hogan would be listed as #2 for the opening day roster, not that he has formally been named the number two.

 

Here is where we differ, as stated in the rest of your post. I don't see a guy who did "just enough"..I do see 2-3 other guys who did nothing..however, what Kizer has done is all the right things you look for in a QB, along with all the things you expect to see in a rookie. He has made every throw on the tree in at least one of the pre season games, he has gone through progressions better than any of the other QBs on the roster, and they have been doing it longer, he looks like he has been doing it longer...in fact, if you go through your archives, this is something I saw in him at ND. He moves the pocket fluidly, something that is nearly impossible to teach, yet he is doing it already. He is reading the defenses presnap, and making adjustments at the line. This needs to speed up and I expect it will as he gets more time with the offense.

He is also, staring down receivers, trying to thread balls in at times to places a great DB will make you pay, etc..rookie mistakes.

The good has FAR out weighed the bad from an eye test.

It isn't unpopular at all, in fact if there is anything that keeps me up (and there isn't) it's that the Browns do too well, with a QB that isn't the answer and they don't get into position to help themselves in the draft.

I just don't believe it will become an issue after watching Kizer this off season.

Yes, we had a difference of opinion, but watching him work...he has dispelled many of my questions already. I am all in with this kid, I believe we have found the guy that will be the Browns QB for the next 15 years barring injuries. He is built to be the QB that doesn't miss a snap and has the drive to maximize that.

We will all see...and don't worry Tim, I'll save you a seat on the Kizer train right next to me. I enjoy our discussions whether we agree or not.

 

Probably because there is so much talk about Kessler being moved and the obvious desire for Osweiler to be moved...I also expect that to be the case after cut downs...but who knows.

 

Someone earlier told me he's the only QB to leave Cleveland with a winning record.

 

Hue gave a very passionate defense of the pick last season, but as this draft approached it was revealed one of their analytic guru's (Ken Kovash) was the brains behind the Kessler pick. Hue twice benched Kessler for McCown during the season, despite a better performance from the rookie (and the numbers flush out too a better downfield passing game).

Those aren't the actions of a guy who wants us to "trust him".

 

Blake Bortles completed 58.9% of his passes, threw for only 207.7 YPG, tossed 11 TDs to 17 INTs, and notched a 69.5 QB rating as a rookie (3-13).

Carson Wentz fared a little better statistically, but still produced the 7th-worst QB rating (79.3) and 6th-worst QBR (52.8).

Marcus Mariota posted decent numbers and the team still went 3-9 with him starting (3-13 overall).

Derek Carr's rookie season went very similarly to Bortles' - 58.1% of his passes, 204.4 YPG, and a 76.6 QB rating. The team went 3-13.

Even if Kizer looks like Blaine Gabbert an the team goes 3-13 there's a very slim likelihood they look to pick up another QB early in 2018.

 

Ironically, the only other parallel in recent history revolved around another former Notre Dame alum - Jimmy Clausen who went 1-9 as a starter and looked like he had no business on an NFL field - 52.5% completion, 3 TDs, 9 INTs, 119.8 YPG, 58.4 QB rating - who basically forced the team to take Cam Newton.

Friendly reminder: Cam Newton > Sam Darnold/Josh Rosen/Josh Allen/Luke Falk/Jake Browning/Trace McSorely/Etc.