The Cleveland Browns had a rookie quarterback last season in Brandon Weeden, but he is a unique player in that he is 29-years-old due to trying out a baseball career, leaving the team in an interesting position as the 2013 offseason begins, as they could trade for Tim Tebow or Ryan Mallett.
The Browns have a new owner in Jimmy Haslam and a new head coach in Rob Chudzinski and if they don't like what they have seen from Weeden, the new regime could opt for a change. The draft has some options at quarterback, but no sure things like last season with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin.
Cleveland will likely take hard looks at USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley and West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, but their best chance at success next season could be from a player that is already in the league. The team hired Mike Lombardi as the new vice president of player personnel and he could make a deal with a number of teams, including possibly the Patriots and backup quarterback Ryan Mallet, as he has relationships with the team and head coach Bill Belichick.
As long as Tom Brady is in New England Mallet wont get a chance to play and he is still very young at just 24-years old. He only had four attempts in four games played while passing for 17 yards in 2012, but that is mainly because it's the Patriots and Brady. Spending a year behind a Hall of Fame quarterback and coach has been beneficial for the quarterback and he could be a solid addition to one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
Weeden started 15 games for the Browns in 2012 and passed for 3,385 yards and 14 touchdowns with 17 interceptions. The Browns were one of the lowest rated offenses in the league and it is a known idea that Lombardi is a fan of Mallet, who he rated as the top quarterback in the 2011 draft class.
Last month, Boston Globe's Greg Bedard wrote on Twitter: "For Patriots fans, Mike Lombardi getting Cleveland personnel job puts possible Ryan Mallett trade back on front burner."
The Patriots reportedly were willing to trade Mallet for a second round pick, but the Browns do not have one after using it in the supplemental draft on receiver Josh Gordon last year. Cleveland has the sixth pick in this years draft and that could be a great spot to grab one of the top names like Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon and Tyler Wilson.
Another option could be Tebow from the Jets, although the Browns will likely draft a quarterback rather than making that deal. There are a few factors that could help though, as Haslam is a new owner looking to make a mark and Lombardi is someone who could think outside the box on a quarterback with the way the league is evolving with players like Robert Griffin and Colin Kaepernick.
Tebow was barely used by the Jets last season, but when he was on the field he gained over 100 yards and completed six of the eight passes he attempted. Tebow showed what he could do while with the Denver Broncos and if he is paired with young stars like Trent Richardson and Josh Gordon, he could make some noise in the AFC North.
The Browns need to do something to fix the offense, since the team ranked just 19th in passing offense and 24th I rushing with less than 100 yards per game. The team has some young talent, but they need to upgrade the quarterback position to have success against teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, who are now Super Bowl champions. They also need to overcome a Bengals team that has made the playoffs in two straight seasons.
There also is a chance that the team would go after Matt Flynn from Seattle or Alex Smith from San Francisco, but if a deal doesn't work out they are likely to take one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. EJ Manuel from Florida State could be a solution lower in the draft and while the team just selected Weeden, there is a chance they will want to start over now rather than wait.
