Vikings Don't Want These QBs, Should The Cleveland Browns?

CLEVELAND, OH — The free agent quarterback market has gotten more crowded and more purple over the past two weeks. The Minnesota Vikings went 13-3 and marched to the NFC Championship game behind the play of Case Keenum. The team also had starting-caliber quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford under contract.

Well, the logjam under center in the Twin Cities has been cleared up. The Vikings will not place the franchise tag on Keenum, which will likely end his starting career in Minnesota. Teddy Bridgewater and Bradford will also likely become free agents this offseason.

Keenum had an incredible season last year, finishing with 3547 yards and 22 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, according to Pro Football Reference. It was an incredible turnaround for a career backup. It's yet to be seen if Keenum's renaissance was a product of his Minnesota surroundings or a late-career epiphany.

Bridgewater on the other hand was taken in the first round in 2014 but has battled injuries throughout his career. He's struggled to stay healthy for 16 games, but has shown flashes of promise when on the field.

Keenum's and Bridgewater's likely free agency creates a better market for the Cleveland Browns. The team currently holds a stacked draft chest of picks and has money to spend in free agency. Plus, the team has a long, ignominious history with the quarterback position. Since 1999, 26 different players have started a game under center for the hapless Browns.

New general manager John Dorsey will almost certainly look to solidify the position. Dorsey has a history of bringing in a veteran quarterback and letting a rookie develop behind him. The most recent instance of this tactic being in Kansas City where Dorsey signed Alex Smith and, a couple years later, drafted Patrick Mahomes in the first round. Now Mahomes has the reins for the Chiefs.

The other two big names at quarterback that could draw Dorsey's eye are Cincinnati Bengals' backup AJ McCarron and Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Cousins, a Michigan State alum, is the most highly-touted of the free agent class and is expected to draw interest from a number of teams. McCarron has previously been linked to Cleveland, infamously serving as the target of an allegedly botched trade that kept the backup in Cincy.

The Browns could also consider drafting a quarterback in the first round, since the team owns two of the first five picks. The list of possible first round quarterbacks includes USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Wyoming's Josh Allen and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield.

What do you think the Browns should do at quarterback this offseason? Tell us in the comments.

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