Browns Sign Two QBs
After a few days of off-season practices, the Browns brass has seen enough out of two quarterbacks trying to make the team.
Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen have both been signed by the Browns to 1-year deals, a possibility that head coach Mike Pettine said could happen. Pettine joked today about Young, saying “he was rusty, but the rust was falling off in clumps.”
So where does this leave fans of the team with the NFL Draft just one week away?
Don’t worry Johnny Football fans. The likelihood of the Browns drafting a quarterback with the No.4 pick, or any other pick, hasn’t fallen off at all because of these signings.
After the preseason, most NFL teams cut down from however many quarterbacks that are on the roster, to two or three at most. Since Young and Thigpen both have 1-year deals, it’s safe to assume that one or both would be cut if the Browns draft a quarterback in next Thursday’s draft.
Young is trying to make a comeback after not playing a regular season snap since 2011. He’s had preseason stints with the Eagles, Packers, and Bills since then, but no time on the field in the regular season. The once heralded National Championship winner, is looking to get back on track with the Cleveland Browns.
Thigpen is a well-known journeyman quarterback, playing for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and now, the Browns. In 2008, Thigpen started 11 games for the Chiefs and threw for 2,608 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only 12 interceptions. Not a bad line for a backup quarterback. After that season though, Thigpen has only seen one career start under center in five seasons.
Who knows how this will end for either quarterback, or the Browns? If history tells us anything, both guys have a legitimate chance to play throughout the season. But one would bet that Ray Farmer hopes that this is not the case, and someone else is holding the reigns under center in 2014.
-AJ Ondrey
