At some point this has to stop, right?
The Cleveland Browns will get a franchise quarterback so we don't have to keep doing this song and dance year in and year out, won't they?
Man, I hope so.
I think Indiana Jones had an easier time finding The Lost Ark and the Holy Grail than the Browns have had figuring out the quarterback situation. And on Tuesday, you might as well have added more snakes to the pit.
In a stunning move, the Redskins acquired veteran signal-caller Alex Smith from the Chiefs, then gave him an insane $94 million, four-year contract extension (with $70 million in guarantees). I believe the 33-year-old would have been the ideal "bridge quarterback" to guide the Browns in his final contract year and pave the way for a Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, or DeShaun Kizer to take over in 2019.
So much for that plan.
Let's be clear, no matter what the Browns do in the upcoming draft, they absolutely need a veteran quarterback on this roster in 2018. And no, I'm not talking about Cody Kessler or Kevin Hogan.
With Smith off the list, what do the Browns do now?
Of course, the name Kirk Cousins is going to come up. Now that the Redskins have acquired Smith, Cousins becomes a free agent and is sure to command at least $25 million dollars annually.
You think he's going to want to come to a team that has gone 1-31 over the last two years? I don't. He seems like a player who would be perfect for a team like Denver or Jacksonville. Teams that are a franchise quarterback away from the Super Bowl.
I'm also not sure I would be comfortable paying a guy top dollar who has started one playoff game in his career.
So where does this leave General Manager John Dorsey and Head Coach Hue Jackson?
Certainly A.J. McCarron will be a target. Around February 15, an arbitrator is expected to rule whether or not he will be a 'restricted' or 'unrestricted' free agent. If he's restricted, things get dicey with offer sheets and tenders that would result in the Browns having to part with draft picks. If not, then game on.
On Wednesday's Donovan Live Postgame Show, 'the Voice of the Browns' Jim Donovan and I discussed what options Cleveland is facing now that Alex Smith is off the table.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above