Browns Told to Stay Away From Former First-Round Pick QB

The Cleveland Browns will be exploring all their quarterback options this offseason but a prominent beat reporter does not think former first-round pick Anthony Richardson should be on the team’s radar.

Richardson is expected to be a name to watch on the quarterback trade market this offseason, with the former No. 4 overall pick potentially available at a significant discount. The Indianapolis Colts appear poised to move forward with Daniel Jones as their starter, while Riley Leonard sits next in line on the depth chart. With limited opportunity to see the field in Indianapolis, Richardson’s future with the franchise is increasingly uncertain, setting the stage for a possible deal.

So far, Richardson’s NFL career has been marked by flashes of elite athletic ability but limited continuity. Injuries have disrupted his development, preventing him from establishing sustained momentum as a starter.

Richardson has gone 8-7 during his time as the starter with the Colts. He’s passed for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Richardson has added 634 yards rushing and 10 more touchdowns on the ground. He appeared in just two games last season, attempting two passes.

Grossi: Shedeur Sanders is Browns’ Developmental QB

Richardson offers intriguing upside, but he also comes with major question marks. Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland doesn’t see him as a fit for what the Browns are trying to build, arguing that Cleveland already has its developmental quarterback in place.

“No, because he’s a developmental project, like Trey Lance. There’s intrigue and athleticism, but they have a developmental quarterback already,” Grossi said. “His name is Shedeur Sanders. They have to develop him. If you bring in a guy like Richardson, you’re glomming up the whole project.”

Sanders was taken in the fifth round of the draft and started seven games last season. He passed for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The argument could be made that the Browns have two developmental quarterbacks in Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, who was taken in the third round. However, Gabriel is not viewed as a potential starting option heading into next season.

Browns Coach Todd Monken Excited About Deshaun Watson

The other quarterback in the mix for the Browns next season is Deshaun Watson. Cleveland’s $230 million passer is heading into the final year of his contract. New head coach Todd Monken has expressed excitement about Watson and his Pro Bowl past.

“You’ve got two young players that still have a long way to go in terms of development, and that’s part of the learning curve in the NFL,” Monken said of Gabriel and Sanders. “And then you’ve got a player like Deshaun, who’s coming back from injury and at one time was a Pro Bowl player, and an elite player in this league, that we would love to tap back into that.”

Watson missed all of last year recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries. He’s appeared in just 19 games overall since landing in Cleveland in 2022 via a blockbuster trade. While he has three Pro Bowls on his resume, Watson hasn’t played a complete season since 2020. And when he has been on the field with the Browns, the results have been subpar. Watson has passed for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during his career in Cleveland.

J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote