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<\/a><\/p>\nGLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 08: Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes gets ready to take a shotgun snap against the Ole Miss Rebels during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 08, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
Once Fernando Mendoza comes off the board, the drop to the next tier of quarterbacks is a bit steep.<\/p>\n
Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson is probably the next-best option, but like Moore should have stayed in school after only starting for one season with the Crimson Tide<\/a>. Simpson looked good in the opening months of last season, but he faded down the stretch as the lack of a running game finally caught up with Alabama. While it was not all his fault, Simpson didn\u2019t exactly leave a positive impression heading into evaluation season.<\/p>\n Mississippi\u2019s Trinidad Chambliss is an exciting prospect<\/a>, but he may be shorter than his listed height of 6-foot-1 – a definite red flag for Cleveland fans and media. And he is actively fighting the NCAA to stay in school for another year, which may speak to his readiness for the NFL.<\/p>\n Miami\u2019s Carson Beck doesn\u2019t have to answer any questions about his experience as next week\u2019s championship game will be his 55th career start across six seasons, but he still feels like a player that you can\u2019t trust in a big spot.<\/p>\n After that, it is the annual list of developmental quarterbacks<\/a>, including Penn State\u2019s Drew Allar, Oklahoma\u2019s John Mateer (unless he stays in college), LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson\u2019s Cade Klubnik.<\/p>\n General manager Andrew Berry promised a \u201cheavy investment\u201d in the offense this year, but none of those guys feel like they would qualify under that category.<\/p>\n SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 24: Mac Jones #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to an NFL football game against the against the Carolina Panthers at Levi\u2019s Stadium on November 24, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n Depending on where you look, the Browns are either $15 million over the salary cap or $20 million under the salary cap<\/a>.<\/p>\n Either way, Berry and the front office will do the standard accounting necessary for the Browns to have money to spend in free agency.<\/p>\n The problem? There is no one available who will be worth investing much into, either in free agency or a trade.<\/p>\n A lot can change in the coming months, but as of now, the \u201ctop quarterbacks\u201d who could be available in free agency include Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Marcus Mariota, Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, Carson Wentz, Kenny Pickett, Tyler Huntley, and Jake Browning.<\/p>\n The Atlanta Falcons reportedly have restructured Kirk Cousins\u2019 contract<\/a> with the plan to release him before the start of free agency. And the Raiders really do not need to keep Geno Smith around, so let\u2019s add both of them to the list.<\/p>\n Unless you are someone who believes the Browns should finally fulfill their destiny of having Cousins and\/or Garoppolo on the roster after years of being linked to both players, or picking up the \u201cones they missed out on\u201d in Trubisky or Wentz, there is not much to get excited about here.<\/p>\n The same goes for any potential trade targets, as some of the popular names being tossed around include Mac Jones, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Tanner McKee, Davis Mills, Spencer Rattler, Anthony Richardson, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa. (The last two could end up being released and would then move to the free agency group.)<\/p>\n Mac Jones will be a name linked to the Browns up until the point where he stays in San Francisco, but is he really the answer after just a handful of starts with the 49ers?<\/p>\n CLEVELAND, OHIO – NOVEMBER 16: Dillon Gabriel #8 and Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns speak during warmups before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field on November 16, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n The Browns actually have three quarterbacks on the current roster. The only problem is that none of them is very good.<\/p>\n Deshaun Watson is going to be on the roster again this fall because of his contract. But there is nothing to indicate he should see the field again in a Cleveland uniform, despite those workout videos on social media that leave some people breathless.<\/p>\n Injuries – two tears of the same Achilles\u2019 tendon and major shoulder surgery – and his off-field problems mean that Watson has only played in 19 games since 2020. And he has not been good in those starts.<\/p>\n Everyone hated Dillon Gabriel from the moment he was drafted, despite Gabriel being the Offensive Player of the Year in the supposedly daunting Big Ten. The Browns gave Gabriel six starts, and the results were not promising. He didn\u2019t turn the ball over, which is always a plus, but he really didn\u2019t do anything to stake his claim to the position, either, as he completed just 59.5 percent of his passes and posted a quarterback rating of 80.8.<\/p>\n At this point, it would be easy to forget that Gabriel is even still on the roster, as he has essentially become persona non grata in town.<\/p>\n Shedeur Sanders started the final seven games, and while he may have been better than Gabriel, at least in the eyes of the fans, the numbers show he was just as bad or even worse. Unless, of course, you are cool with 10 interceptions, a completion percentage of 56.6, and a quarterback rating of 68.1.<\/p>\n Sanders finished the season ranked No. 167 out of 184 NFL quarterbacks since 2000 in Expected Points Added per dropback through their first seven starts, according to The Athletic<\/a>. Of the 17 quarterbacks who rank below Sanders, only Alex Smith and Jared Goff have gone on have a productive career.<\/p>\n The rest of the group includes such luminaries as Ken Dorsey, Bryce Petty, Josh Rosen, Tom Savage, and John Beck.<\/p>\n There were plenty of excuses tossed around for the poor play from Sanders, including an aging and ineffective offensive line and a subpar wide receiver group. But Gabriel was throwing to the same receivers, and the line was bad all season.<\/p>\n The bottom line is that the EPA\/dropback from Sanders (-0.21) and Gabriel (-0.20)<\/a> should leave both of them off any list of players who \u201ccemented their status for 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n