NFL Rumors: Cleveland Browns Would be Smart to go After Quarterback AJ McCarron - And Here's Why
Head coach Hue Jackson reportedly interested in signing McCarron
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of work in front of them, and they know that.
That is pretty much a given when a franchise fails to win a single game over the course of a season.
Just as in years past, the focus this offseason for the Browns will be on trying to finally find someone who can handle the quarterback position well enough for them.
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Armed with high picks in a draft perceived to be teeming with high upside quarterbacks, the Browns seem to be in a good position to land the signal-caller they have long been seeking.
Still, recent rumors are hinting that perhaps the Browns may be planning to take a multi-faceted approach to finally solving their quarterback conundrum, which means they are not just going to draft a young guy and call it a day.
In a recent article, The MMQB's Peter King shared something that came from "an executive with a historically reliable ear to the ground." According to his source, Browns head coach Hue Jackson would prefer to sign free agent quarterback AJ McCarron, while also selecting a younger player who plays that same position in the draft.
The Browns' interest in McCarron was well known even before last season ended, and that can seem somewhat odd.
After all, McCarron does not exactly project to be the kind of quarterback who can lead a moribund franchise out of the cellar and into multiple playoff runs.
If anything, it is hard to get a read on what McCarron is actually capable of since he was not able to play that much with the Cincinnati Bengals.
As seen in Pro Football Reference, McCarron only started three regular season games and one playoff contest for the Bengals over the course of four seasons. It is difficult to get a sense of how good a player someone is from such a limited sample.
Still, with all that said, McCarron can still help the Browns. He is probably not going to set the world on fire even as a starter, but even being near average would be a welcome improvement for the Browns at that position.
On top of that, McCarron can help take pressure off of whichever young quarterback the franchise selects in the draft. Instead of having a young player thrown to the wolves right from day one, the Browns can ease him in and hope he develops better given patience and some time away from the spotlight of being a starter.
As long as the Browns do not bust their budget for McCarron, signing him as a free agent presents little risk to them, but the rewards of doing so can be quite significant.
