Welcome to the CleBrowns Blog. To kick things off, we’re talking QB search, which is a familiar place for Browns fans in March. Listed below are the top available options this offseason via free agency or trade:

Free Agents

Kyler Murray

Kyler is inarguably the best quarterback on the list and also comes with the most favorable contract situation – now that he’ll been released by the Cardinals as free agency opens next week, his next contract will come in at the veteran minimum, similar to Russell Wilson’s deal with the Steelers two years ago. Unfortunately, this renders him an unrealistic option for the Browns, as he will have many suitors and can focus purely on football fit given his contract situation.

Malik Willis

Malik Willis is the mystery box of this year’s free agency class, but is likely to be the next domino to fall once Kyler Murray chooses his 2026 destination because of the upside. When Willis declared for the 2022 NFL draft, analysts knew he had the arm talent and elite athleticism to succeed in the league, but everyone also knew he was a raw prospect that needed time to learn. The Titans took him in the third round, started him too early, and sent him to the Packers for a 7th round pick.

Now, Willis has had a couple years to sit and learn from Matt LaFleur behind Jordan Love, and the brief glimpses of Willis on the field have been very encouraging. In his short stints around Jordan Love injuries, Willis has an exceptionally high average depth of target while still maintaining a high completion percentage (read as: he’s throwing the ball deep while maintaining high levels of accuracy). This type of play is what made Drake Maye an MVP candidate.

The downside is a limited sample size. It’s difficult to tell whether LaFleur schemed up an excellent gameplay for Willis, which resulted in his excellent play, or if Willis has truly progressed mentally to the point that he can take advantage of his physical gifts in the NFL. Willis is only 26 years old and is the only other free agent QB offering long-term starting potential. While it is unlikely he would choose Cleveland, perhaps Todd Monken can sell Willis on running the offense playing to his strengths as a deep passer and elite rushing threat. That offense won Lamar Jackson an MVP in Monken’s first year in Baltimore.

Expect Willis’s contract to come in a tick higher than the Justin Fields contract last year, which was two years, $40 million. The Browns could accommodate such a deal with Deshaun Watson’s contract restructure today, along with the presumed Denzel Ward restructure prior to free agency. Once Murray signs, Willis is likely to have a number of suitors, but Cleveland has won out on a QB against all odds before (to disastrous results, but won out nonetheless).

Geno Smith

Geno Smith was cut today by the Las Vegas Raiders, which places him firmly at third in the free agent QB pecking order. Geno was bad for the Raiders last year, but a team doesn’t land the first overall pick based on poor QB play alone (otherwise we’d pick first more than we already do). I view adding Geno as the most likely path – he is unlikely to fetch a big contract in free agency the Browns to acquire a veteran presence with starting experience as the team distances itself from the Deshaun Watson experience.

A two-year for $10-$15 million per year likely gets it done, as Geno is 36 years old and will presumably ride out the remainder of his career as a backup. A two-year contract creates a scenario where he remains on the roster in 2027. This provides continuity with Shedeur Sanders (if he proves himself to be the long-term starter in 2026), a strong veteran presence with a highly-drafted rookie QB in 2027.

Trade Targets

Anthony Richardson

Likely controversial, I view Anthony Richardson as the next-best option. In a world where highly-drafted QBs like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield (oof) are thriving outside of the teams that drafted them, betting on the all-world potential of Richardson is alluring. He’s unlikely to cost very much via trade – Trey Lance was traded by the 49ers in exchange for a 4th round pick, and the Browns still have two 5th round picks after the Tytus Howard trade. Moving one of those and Dillon Gabriel for Richardson makes plenty of sense for the Browns as a pure lottery ticket on a team that expects to be in the QB market in the 2027 draft.

Lottery tickets often lose, and it’s very unlikely that Richardson will be a successful QB in Cleveland. However, it only takes one, and acquiring Richardson for a dollar has the potential to hit big – Richardson is one of the most athletic quarterbacks to ever participate at the NFL combine and still possesses one of the strongest arms in the NFL. For a team probably looking to lose games for draft position next season anyway, a 17 game tryout for one of the most physically talented QBs in recent memory isn’t the worst outcome. Richardson has been granted the ability to seek a trade, and the lack of competition to start for the Browns next season could make them an attractive destination for a player that was a top five pick only three years ago.

Mac Jones

The final option on this list is Mac Jones, though I view him as very unrealistic for the Browns. First and foremost, the 49ers are (justifiably) asking for a substantial amount in exchange for their backup quarterback. The Browns are a team with a lot of holes and need players at nearly every offensive position. Cleveland simply shouldn’t give up meaningful assets via trade, especially not for a QB that has not shown he is able to overcome shortcomings at other positions. The 49ers are also likely to give Jones some power over his trade destination, and it is unlikely that starting for the Browns behind a rebuilt offensive line is more appealing that another year in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan before a big payday in free agency next year. In sum, Jones hasn’t shown himself to be an NFL starter without an elite play caller and offense, and giving up substantial assets for a guy like that shouldn’t be on the Browns’ radar.