Former GM Reveals How Browns Should Pitch Russell Wilson

The Cleveland Browns are keeping their options open.

The quarterback market is quite limited, so they must be aggressive with whoever’s left.

That’s why former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum believes they can’t allow Russell Wilson to leave their meeting without a deal.

Talking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” the former executive claimed that the Browns should put an emphasis on how bad things are for the New York Giants:

“If you go to the New York Giants, it will be the professional grave,” he said.

"If you go to the New York Giants, it will be the professional grave."

—@RealTannenbaum on what would be his pitch to Russell Wilson if he were the Cleveland Browns GM pic.twitter.com/7lXKl12N41

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 13, 2025

He believes the Browns need to remind Russell Wilson that the Giants have failed to find success with a quarterback since Eli Manning.

Then, with Wilson and Kenny Pickett there, the Browns would have maximum flexibility to do whatever they wanted in the NFL Draft regarding the quarterback position.

Of course, that makes sense, but the Browns also haven’t found success at quarterback in almost three decades of expansion, so that argument can backfire.

The fact is that unless Kirk Cousins suddenly becomes available, Russell Wilson might be the best quarterback out there right now.

Granted, a quarterback room consisting of Wilson, Kenny Pickett, and a rookie might not be the most exciting in the year 2025, but that’s most likely as good as it gets right now.

Wilson isn’t the player he used to be, and he’s no longer the mobile, dual-threat magician who could extend plays over and over.

But he can definitely sling the football down the field, and he would be an upgrade over Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, and even Joe Flacco, who led the team to the playoffs two years ago.