Browns QB tracker: How Myles Garrett's future could alter the team's thinking

This is the fifth edition of our weekly Cleveland Browns quarterback tracker.

Before the March 12 start of the new league year, the Browns have to make contract-related decisions on at least five multi-year starters.

With major salary commitments to players in and out of the teams long-term plans, the folks in charge must also develop a budget-friendly free-agency strategy and continue to work toward maximizing a draft class that starts with the No.

2 overall selection, includes an extra third-rounder and could see Cleveland hold as many as eight picks on the drafts final day.

GO DEEPER Browns mock draft 1.0: Pass rush addressed early, QB taken on Day 2 For any NFL front office, theres never just one offseason area of focus or one route toward improvement.

However, for Browns general manager Andrew Berry and a franchise at a quarterback crossroads, two things take precedence, both in the building and in external headlines: Myles Garretts trade request and the teams ongoing quarterback search.

Advertisement The Browns dont want to trade Garrett, and the team continues to say that it wont .

But Garrett took his wishes public earlier this month, saying on multiple platforms that he and the Browns arent aligned on where the team is going in the near future and that hes willing to do whatever it takes to facilitate a trade ahead of his ninth NFL season.

Right now, it seems Garrett has made more of a demand than a request.

Did he hear the quarterback plan from Berry and the teams other key decision-makers and not like them? Or did Garrett decide long ago that he wants out of Cleveland? Though the answer is probably a little of both, its a fair question when assessing the teams options.

A trade of Garrett would change the long-term thinking, long-term budget and the timeline for the Browns to find a real answer at quarterback.

With Cleveland wanting to keep Garrett and convince the six-time All-Pro that a quick fix is possible, the upcoming quarterback decisions must help engineer a fast turnaround.

The roster holes can be directly traced to the Deshaun Watson experiment failing miserably.

For now, the Browns still have more than $170 million in salary-cap commitments to Watson and will need to again restructure his contract in the coming weeks to even get close to becoming cap compliant.

A week ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, Over the Cap has the Browns at more than $38 million above the projected 2025 salary cap.

A Garrett trade before June 1 would cost Cleveland an additional $16 million on its 2025 cap in dead money.

For now, Garrett counts around $20 million and the team would like to lower that number as part of a mega-extension for the 2017 No.

1 pick.

The Browns have consistently backloaded contracts of new veteran acquisitions, so they could pursue almost any available veteran passer , fit him into their 2025 spending plan and figure out the rest later as the cap continues to rise annually.

But the better and unquestionably cheaper plan long term is to depend on a rookie.

The problem, even outside of being a 3-14 team with major cap flexibility issues, is the quarterback demand continues to outweigh the supply and that quarterback-needy teams with more available money and potentially better situations are also shopping.

Advertisement In this way, the Garrett situation could already be construed as an unhealthy one for the Browns in the court of veteran quarterback opinion.

The list of potential free-agent quarterbacks isnt especially long or appealing, even if the Browns think they can attract one.

Theres no quarterback ranked among the top 14 draft prospects in the latest top 100 list by Dane Brugler, The Athletic s draft guru.

Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, said last month that he doesnt see any quarterback in this class who would be ranked among the top six in last years draft when six quarterbacks went in the top 12.

GO DEEPER 2025 NFL Draft Big Board: Who are the top 100 prospects in this years class? When it comes to experienced and available passers, will they view Cleveland the way Garrett apparently does? Even if the financials fit, can the Browns sell a veteran quarterback they actually want on their ability to become a playoff team in 2025? I dont see Cleveland ending up with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, whos been informed by the New York Jets that hell be released.

I cant see the Browns being a realistic suitor for the Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford, whos recently become the subject of trade rumors .

If the Rams want to shift directions and trade Stafford, I think other teams would be in a position to offer more for the 37-year-old.

Good luck selling Garrett on Kirk Cousins, who turns 37 this summer and is almost certainly going to become available in the coming weeks.

For the second time in three years, the Browns are desperate enough that no player or situation should be ruled out.

But even if Cousins becomes free and wants to keep playing, there could be competition for his services depending on how many teams want a veteran quarterback and if players such as Stafford, Derek Carr, Geno Smith or Russell Wilson become available.

Speculation season will soon become spending season.

The Browns might have a Hail Mary in the works, and all indications are that theyre going to continue to hold Garrett and try to present him with a monstrous new contract to help him change his mind.

But right now, it looks like Garrett sees what most of us see in the Browns, and thats a team thats not one year or a couple of pieces away.

The Watson trade was simply that bad, in the moment and going forward.

Advertisement Now, can the Browns draft a rookie quarterback whos good enough at least somewhat soon to help the team convince Garrett to stay? Or, will the Browns feel like they have to trade Garrett, add picks over the next two drafts and take a longer-term view of their quarterback options? Either way, its not a comfortable spot for a general manager trying to keep his job and a roster that needs multiple draft hits to change both outside perception and its standing in the AFC.

Garrett wants out, at least in part because he doesnt think Cleveland is good enough, and were all currently looking at a list of quarterback options that dont sway that opinion.

(Photo: Justin Berl / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.