Any novice fan can tell right away that quarterback is the most important position on a football team. They’re involved on every offensive play and everybody talks about them. One reason the Broncos were successful during the bulk of the 80’s and 90’s was because they were set @ quarterback. While the rest of the division was expending high round picks or major trade capital searching for a guy, the Broncos knew they were set under center with John Elway. Unfortunately, that situation has flipped and the rest of division has been stable under center and we’ve spent first and second round picks on a position that remains unsettled.
Picking the wrong guy @ quarterback has completely wrecked the Browns in their latest incarnation. They have displayed unerring precision in finding the wrong guy every time they try.
2017 – Traded away the 12th pick which becomes Deshaun Watson. Took DeShone Kizer @ 2/52. It’s possible they got these guys confused because their first names are phonetically identical.
2016 – Ran screaming from generational talent Carson Wentz. Took physically overmatched Cody Kessler @ 3/93.
2014 – Took Johnny Manziel 22nd overall. Ignored $100K study they commissioned which told them the same thing everybody else was telling them for free: Teddy Bridgewater (32) was better. As were David Carr (2/36), Jimmy Garoppolo (2/62), AJ McCarron (5/164).
Just an amazing record of self-administered damage and that’s not counting the bungled trade attempt yesterday.
2012 – Took 28 year old rookie Brandon Weeden 22nd overall. Passed on Russell Wilson (3/75) and Kirk Cousins (4/102).
2011 – No quarterback drafted, but just wanted to point out they abandoned the sixth spot in the best draft in a couple decades to drop to 21 and take DT Phil Taylor.
2010 – The good news is the Browns finally took the best quarterback available to them, the bad news is that quarterback was Colt McCoy @ 3/85.
2007 – The good news is the Browns take Joe Thomas with the third overall pick. The bad news is they stopped Brady Quinn’s free fall @ 22, little knowing the curse they were placing on that number. Amazingly, there was no Pro Bowl QB lurking later in the draft, Drew Stanton is the only QB left from that ugly class of signal callers.
2004 – This is the inexcusable one. Ben Roethlisberger was born in Ohio. He played high school and college ball in Ohio. The Browns drafted Kellen Winslow’s immature kid sixth overall instead and then acted surprised when he never shut up.
Roethlisberger Is 22-2 lifetime against the Browns. He is 11-2 in games played in Cleveland. No Browns quarterback since 1999 has more than 10 wins in games played in Cleveland. They picked the lesser McCown @ 4/106.
2000 – This says it all.
6-183 CLE Spergon Wynn
6-199 NE Tom Brady
1999 -This is where it all went wrong. I liked Donovan McNabb more than Tim Couch in 1999, but opinions were divided, with most people leaning towards Couch. Naturally, he turned out to be far worse than McNabb, even fat late-career Donovan. Couch was also worse than Duante Culpepper who went 11th and Aaron Brooks who lasted until 4/131.