The first two days of the NFL Draft have come and gone and the Cleveland Browns have yet to make any kind of move towards a quarterback. The team failed to get a deal done for Marcus Mariota and the Philadelphia Eagles denied the Browns' first-round pick offer for Sam Bradford. With that hype over with, are the Browns still thinking they need a quarterback or will the team be content with Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown?
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, general manager Ray Farmer never made a draft deal with the Tennesse Titans. There were reports the Browns were aiming to package both of their first-round picks together and get the former Oregon star, but nothing came of all the talk. They have also missed out on Garrett Grayson who was selected by the New Orleans Saints to eventually replace Drew Brees. Farmer stressed that he never considered making a marquee move for a quarterback.
"No. No. No,'' Farmer said, via Cleveland.com. "Again, I've tried to tell people without telling them specifically, but the answer is no. There were no conversations of trading."
The Browns can still add a quarterback to the roster. Bryce Petty and Brett Hundley are available on Day 3 of the draft. Neither quarterback is considered ready to start immediately, but they would add competition to the mix and eventually develop into a top quarterback. The Browns could also eye trade deals for Mike Glennon or Kirk Cousins. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, both backups could be made available considering the Buccaneers signed Jameis Winston and the Redskins re-upped Robert Griffin III.
Head coach Mike Pettine made it clear that he is very happy with the two quarterbacks. Manziel is still coming together after an offseason stint in rehab. Pettine told the media that he feels good starting McCown Week 1 while being very confident he can win games.
"I'd be comfortable (with McCown starting), I would,'' Pettine said "He's proven he can start in this league. I'm not going to stand here and announce that's the situation. We'll see what our roster looks like when we get to September. But here's a guy who has played quality minutes in this league and brings a lot to our organization on and off the field. We would not have brought him here if we didn't feel that (he could win)."
The Browns must know something everyone else does not. The team still needs to draft a wide receiver. With the confidence Pettine is showing in the quarterbacks, that target could easily come in the fourth round.
