It's Next Year Again . . . 2025 Version

Right now? Pickett is probably QB#1, until the rookie beats him out.

Which will likely be preseason, week 1...

The list of people that could come in and be named the automatic starter is getting real skinny.

You have anybody that you could see coming in off of the remaining list?

 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha wtf Pickett is yalls starter now
Enjoy the misery

 

Pickings are getting slim. Possibly Cousins, maybe Flacco. Probably on a heavy incentive laden contracts. Until the rookie can stand on his own…..

 

Kirk seems like a non-starter. The idea that the Falcons would be willing to trade him on the kind of deal that would interest the Browns is one I can't see materializing, and I think Atlanta has moved past the notion of cutting him.

I like where you're at with Flacco though, and I still think CLE shit the bed when they let him walk down the road to Indy.

We might be in a situation where Cleveland simply waits to see which passer they get in the draft then try to mesh that with a similar style of player.

 

Atlanta owes him $10M on March 16th. Cap hit at that date may be too high but I believe it drops as a post June 1st cut. Penix is clearly the starter and I don't think Atlanta wants to keep paying Cousins 3 more years left on that 4yr/180M contract.

Cleveland did not trade for Pickett to be the starter and I'm pretty sure they won't throw a rookie to the wolves on Day 1. They will be going after a bridge starter if they plan to a draft QB at the #2 spot.

 

You look at the list of remaining free agent passers and Pickett's 25 starts, first round selection and time in the AFC North suggests that Cleveland may view him as the bridge.

I know that's not what you or most CLE fans would like, but there seems to be little to no aggression in the market from the Browns, so I'm not seeing any indication of a line of sight beyond a draft pick and Kenny.

 

Unfortunately, I think you may be right.

 

The chatter is growing louder that Atlanta wanted a trade so they came out hard stating Cousins will be on the roster in 2025.

It depends on whether you put more juice in ESPN and Sports Illustrated,They are now saying they will cut him before the March 17 deadline… or NBC Sports who say they don’t care about the $10M roster bonus… NBC is the only one I’m hearing this from though.

At this point, I think the Browns are MORE likely counting on Cousins being available. Pickett plays a more similar style game to Cousins than Ward or Sanders. If that was the game plan, I think they keep DTR.

I still think they draft a QB… in the 3rd round… to see if they get someone that can develop over the next few years, not step in mid season as a starter.

Frankly, I don’t think Shadeur Sanders sells confidence in NFL front offices, nor any of the other QBs in this class. Someone might fall in love with what Ward did this year, but taking a grander scope, I don’t think he is worthy a top pick either. The lack of generational talent at the top will make him a top pick though.

Browns QB room in 2025
Kirk Cousins
Kenny Pickett
Will Howard, unless Dart drops low enough for them to trade back into the first to get him…

 

I'm hard pressed to believe that the Browns are going to ignore a passer at the top of this draft, simply because they continue to fail to get it right.

Even if they do add Cousins, which may be what Kirk and Stefanski both want, he just lost the starting job to a quarterback that everyone was trying to dump on, simply for getting drafted to Atlanta after Cousins was signed for big money.

Basically, if CLE signs Kirk and rolls with Kenny as the primary backup for 2025, then this front office and coaching staff have learned nothing and deserve to be run out on a rail if things go South.

Taking a quarterback at the top locks in a 5-year rookie deal that lasts through clearing out the mess of Watson, seeing the end of Pickett's contract and, if they sign him, transitioning away from a starting quarterback that will be 37 years old at the start of this season. That age wouldn't be as much of a sticking point if we hadn't watched how he played last year. Maybe another few months of recovery from the injury will bring back some of the fastball, but this is a quarterback that looked like he did not trust his own arm enough to pull the trigger on what he was seeing.

Drafting a passer high gives an insurance policy to the coach and front office. It's pretty much the ultimate 1 or 2 year protection from getting dismissed.

Berry and Stefanski are in a position to protect their job after Jimmy's colossal Watson fuck up. I don't think they are going to pass on that policy.

One more thing that I hate to bring up - If you were Kirk, would you rather sign with Cleveland, that's in a position to do the same kind of sign/draft situation that you just came from, or would you rather sign with the Steelers and know that they are going to be starting you with no other options for at least 2025? Add on to this the idea that one will be considered a playoff contender and the other probably won't (some pundits might jump on board if Kirk is signed to CLE).

 

You are overlooking the most obvious.. These QBs are not deserving of the #2 overall pick. Just picking one won't save their jobs unless they win immediately. Neither of these guys have the skill set to turn any franchise around as a rookie. If the Browns roll with Pickett, they will be picking in the top 5 again in 2026.. especially if they force either of those two into the starter role mid-season. Then Berry's job is definitely over in Cleveland. Haslem is sick of losing. I think Haslem is taking ownership of the Watson debacle, otherwise both would already be gone. I do think that Berry and Stefanski's career in Cleveland depends on the team improving in 2025, which isn't a tough feat given their 3 win season. If they take the rookie and go with Pickett, I don't think they improve.. just my opinion. it will be 17 games of anywhere between 10-0 and 31-6 games, depending on how the defense can play. Too many 3 and outs will cause this defense to be below average, which is not a winning combination.

Kirk Cousins will be on a one year deal no matter where he goes. What is the best option to get one last contract? That is what his agent will be telling him. The Steelers are going to sign Aaron Rodgers and I believe it is going to happen before the Falcons release Cousins. The Browns aren't going to talk a guy like Rodgers into ending his career here, nor can they afford him even if they wanted to. The Steelers have the resources to get it done and will most likely see that as the best option for 2025. The Steelers ONLY think about what is best for the upcoming season to make it to the playoffs, they aren't a start over type of franchise.

I'm taking Pittsburgh off the table for Cousins, unless they don't do anything .

Cousins needs a landing spot where a) he is the clear starter for 2025 and b) has enough stones in place in the foundation to sniff the playoffs. This team is basically intact from the playoff team from two years ago, with Flacco at the helm. Different receiver room, swap out Amari Cooper with Jerry Jeudy and it's all about the same. I think it is going to be a decision between the Browns and Giants.. You tell me who is the better option. I honestly don't know enough about the Giants to make a quality comparison. I know the Browns have the defense in place, but are lacking on O-line and RB. Giants have a great WR, but let the best player on their offense go to the Rival Eagles.

Given the choice between the Giants and the Browns with Stefanski's system that he made a good career on, I think he chooses Cleveland.

 

I left something out on this one... The question will surely come up of the sign/draft situation... these are totally different situations. Atlanta signed him to a 4 year 180,000,000 contract... If I'm a QB, my expectation is that I am going to be with that team until I retire, not sitting at home watching the draft and see them pick my replacement before the ink is dry on that contract.

In Cleveland or anywhere else he signs in 2025, it is a one year deal. He is playing for one last contract in 2026. Cousins has always bet on himself, he has taken the one year deals time and time again, I don't think he will blink on this one. The Falcons will be doing him a favor, if they cut him. They are paying his second year of his contract and allowing him the chance to get one last contract before he is put out to pasture.