The Cleveland Browns are on the hunt for a quarterback of the future, because there isn't one on the roster right now, according to the team's new head coach, Hue Jackson.
Hue Jackson says Browns ‘need a QB’ because Johnny Manziel might not be a starter
Reports of a trip to Las Vegas, if true, show Johnny Manziel is not starter material, says new Browns head coach Hue Jackson.
In an interview on Sunday on Bleacher Report Sirius XM radio with Jason Cole and Ty Schalter, Jackson said that the team is well-positioned in the 2016 NFL Draft to add a new quarterback if the team determines one is worth an early selection.
“If there’s a quarterback there at pick No. 2 or pick No. 32 that we feel is the best option for our organization and football team then we need to do it,” Jackson said. “I do believe that this team does need a quarterback. Whether it was health issues or whatever it was, the position didn’t play great.”
Jackson came to the defense of Josh McCown, who finished the year with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, but managed to make only eight starts due to several injuries, including a concussion in Week 1 and a broken collarbone in Week 12 that ultimately ended his season.
“Josh McCown played great when he was healthy and did some really good things, but we also know he’s getting up there age-wise,” Jackson said of the 36-year-old quarterback. “But this guy is very competitive and has done a great job. I think what we need to do is look to the future and find what’s the best fit for us and go from there.”
While Jackson said that he'll evaluate Johnny Manziel just like any other player on the roster, he said that reports of the quarterback's recent trip to Las Vegas, if true, are proof that he's a "not-starter" who isn't doing things the "correct way."
“I think any time things are not done the correct way with any player at any position would be a ‘not-starter’ to me,” Jackson said. “I have not talked to Johnny yet, but I do know this, I’m going to do everything I can to evaluate him first and foremost, just like I would any player on the team from the top player down to whoever the last player is on our roster to give everyone a fair opportunity.”
Manziel finished the year with seven touchdowns and five interceptions, but was benched after video of him partying surfaced before he was eventually re-inserted into the starting lineup a couple weeks later.
In the first mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper, the Browns are projected to select California quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 2 pick. SB Nation’s Dan Kadar also has Goff slated to the Browns.
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