The New York Giants landed quarterback Russell Wilson earlier this week, giving them two veteran signal-callers in Wilson and Jameis Winston.
The Giants weren't the only team Wilson had been linked to in free agency, however. The Cleveland Browns, a team that badly needs a starting-level QB, were in pursuit of Wilson before he headed to the Tri-state area.
Star defensive end Myles Garrett, who recently agreed to a four-year, $160 million deal to remain with the Browns, gave a simple but strong message after his team missed out on the 10-time Pro Bowler.
"Any team that's going to go far needs a quarterback and one that's young, can learn and is willing to be patient with the process," Garrett told Browns Radio Network, per a video from Content Browns. "There's going to be some bumps in the road. It's going to be some learning pains. But us as a team has to be able to be a landing pad for him to fall back on, and know being on the defensive side, to help him out whenever things go wrong."
The Browns have thought they had found their franchise quarterback on a few occasions over the past decade or so. But each time, that man turned out to be a false prophet.
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They drafted Johnny Manziel in 2014, only to see him fail spectacularly in the NFL amidst a number of off-the-field problems. They took Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, and while he had his moments, he didn't blossom until 2023 — as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Three years ago, the same offseason they traded Mayfield, the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson, who had led the NFL in passing yards in 2020. But he played poorly in Cleveland, and midway through last season, he tore his Achilles, and he's expected to never play for them again.
Garrett had demanded a trade earlier this offseason, partly because of the gloomy outlook for Cleveland.
