The Cleveland Browns put together a good offseason and are ready for the start of training camp. However, the national media has many different views on what to expect from them.
Some believe that the Browns are going to be a serious contender. Others expect them to struggle and end up missing the playoffs.
While they made a few really good moves this offseason, including trading for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and signing backup quarterback Jameis Winston, some aren't happy with a move they didn't make.
As shared by Dawgs By Nature, ESPN has criticized Cleveland for not trading for Justin Fields to bring in an even higher potential backup quarterback.
"My biggest critique of the Browns this offseason is what they didn’t do at quarterback. They added Jameis Winston (and Tyler Huntley) as their backups over Joe Flacco, which was fine given Flacco’s age and lack of recent success prior to 2023. But they could have aimed higher. While the Browns are heavily invested in Deshaun Watson, he has played poorly enough in Cleveland that the team ought to look at alternatives rather than run out the clock on a talented roster. Not trading for Fields, who was eventually dealt for a conditional sixth-round pick, was a misstep, in my view."
Fields ended up being acquired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is still young and possesses the talent to be a future starting quarterback if he continues developing.
It's understandable criticism for the Browns' franchise. They are not guaranteed that Deshaun Watson will figure things out this season. If he doesn't, they're going to need to find a new starter.
Winston isn't the guy that's going to be a long-term option for them. Fields could have been.
Basically, Cleveland missed an opportunity to acquire a potential franchise quarterback for a cheap price. However, they clearly did not view Fields as a great fit for the team or they would have traded for him.
Hopefully, Watson breaks out this season and finally proves the Browns right for trading for him. He certainly has the talent to be a star quarterback for Cleveland.
On the chance that he continues struggling, the Browns are going to be in a very difficult situation next offseason.
