Who should start for the Browns: Osweiler, Kizer, or Kessler?
Two weeks into the preseason, and the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition is just as foggy as when it began. Neither Brock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer, nor Cody Kessler have taken claim to the starter's job and head coach Hue Jackson hopes to have a final decision by Wednesday.
Entering Week 3 of the preseason and the dress rehearsal for the season ahead, theScore discusses who the Browns should name as their starting quarterback.
Michael McClymont: The Browns claim Osweiler is being given every opportunity to actually win the starting job, and they backed up that claim by starting him in their first two preseason games. But the team needs to turn its attention away from showcasing the salary dump for a potential trade and focus instead on putting the woefully poor roster in the best position to win more than one game in 2017. They need to start Kessler.
Jack Browne: Let's move past this whole "Osweiler is the favorite to start" thing as quickly as possible. If that truly is the case, Jackson isn't the quarterback guru we thought he was. Time and time again, Osweiler has proven himself incapable of executing an NFL offense consistently. Starting him makes zero sense. But why Kessler and not Kizer? The rookie will start eventually, why not from Day 1?
McClymont: Because he'll get killed, is why. In Monday's preseason game alone, Kizer took multiple unnecessary blows from defenders ready and willing to get in a free shot at a running quarterback. Kizer isn't exactly being protected by Dak Prescott's offensive line with the same weapons at his disposal. Cleveland should, for once, take the sensible approach and bring their rookie quarterback along slowly.
Browne: But that's more on Kizer than the offensive line. His biggest issue right now is he holds the ball too long, and that's something Jackson should be able to fix. Cleveland spent an enormous amount this offseason to fix its offensive line, and they have an underrated running game. Kessler is a safe pair of hands, but there's a reason he's slipped to third on the depth chart. Kizer, with all his flaws, is still the best quarterback on this roster. Yes, the Browns don't want to rush him and stunt his development, but at some point the choice has to come down to who'll help them win the most games.
McClymont: And at the present time, that man is Kessler. He's "slipped" to third if you're led to believe that Osweiler earned his spot as preseason starter. The Browns rightfully used the preseason to give Kizer a chance to test himself against live bullets. After the carousel of quarterbacks the Browns have trotted out in the last 15 years, the team should be thrilled to have a safe option in Kessler. Put his 92.3 passer rating and 3.0 touchdown-to-interception ratio behind that aforementioned line and the Browns just might be competitive this year.
Browne: If you'd have asked me a few months ago, I'd have been all aboard the Kessler train. He was far better in 2016 than anyone gives him credit for, but Kizer's rapid progress makes that moot. Kizer has led three touchdown drives this preseason to Kessler's one, and the latter's was after a turnover set up the offense at the Saints' 21. Kizer's only going to get better with just under three weeks to Week 1. After Kessler went 0-8 last year, it will only take a few losses to start the year for the fans to demand Kizer.
McClymont: And Kizer would stand to benefit from those additional weeks learning and developing without the risk of injury or being beaten down by the lack of immediate results. Kizer is the future and the future for the Browns is nowhere close to being in 2017. There's very little to gain and much to risk by playing Kizer - a player who's college coach said wasn't ready for the NFL - in Week 1.
Browne: No one wants to see Kizer rocked early on, but he has looked like the most ready rookie quarterback. And while sitting a rookie quarterback has value, nothing progresses them quicker than competitive NFL football. We know the Browns aren't going to make the playoffs in 2017, but stranger things have happened. We know the ceiling under Kessler is pretty low, why not go with the sparkplug Kizer and give him the best shot at developing and the team at defying the odds.
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