The Cleveland Browns entered the NFL season with high hopes for this campaign.
They had just made the playoffs and kept most of their core, so most people assumed that they would, at the very least, be in the mix for a playoff spot again.
Needless to say, that hasn’t been the case at all.
The team has been eliminated for weeks now, and with all the rumors floating around about Myles Garrett’s future with the team, it only made sense that some people wondered whether it was time to blow things up.
That, according to Alex Ballantine, would be a mistake.
In his latest column, the Bleacher Report analyst argued that getting a quarterback like Kirk Cousins would allow this team to wait until the 2026 NFL Draft, when they could potentially get their signal-caller of the future:
“Getting a quarterback who can simply execute the offense would be a huge boon. Perhaps Kirk Cousins, who will likely be available this offseason, would help get the Browns to the 2026 draft where there’s a more promising class,” Ballentine said.
That makes sense, as this draft isn’t particularly rich at the quarterback position, and barring a major turn of events, the Browns won’t be in a position to get Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward — the top-two prospects.
Cousins didn’t look good this season, but he didn’t play in an offense built around his strengths.
That wouldn’t be the case in Cleveland, as he has a history with Kevin Stefanski, his former offensive coordinator.
Of course, Cousins isn’t particularly young, so he would only be a stopgap for any team that signed him.
But having him there for a year or two would allow the Browns to find their guy for the future while still staying competitive.
NEXT: Analyst Says Browns Should Consider Trading Star Player
