Browns will consider Kirk Cousins ​​after Deshaun Watson disaster

The bar for quarterback play is so low in Cleveland that another team’s bench disaster may be the Browns’ best option.

Kirk Cousins ​​will be on the team’s radar as competition for embattled starter Deshaun Watson should the Falcons trade him this offseason, a team source told ESPN.

The source said the team is expected to consider “any veteran with starting talent” and that the “working theory” in NFL circles is that the team is trying to hold a competition for the starting job next season

The Browns are paying the price for their decision to fully guarantee Watson’s $230 million contract, as the 29-year-old is no longer an elite quarterback and, one could argue, barely a starter.

While teams like the Giants traded away Daniel Jones and even the Falcons traded Cousins ​​for rookie Michael Penix Jr., Cleveland is in a more difficult position as they have to pay Watson every penny of his huge guaranteed salary.

Paying another quarterback — even backups like Tyrod Taylor make decent money — would push their cap even further.

According to ESPN, the Browns could owe $92 million in cash and receive $119 million in salary cap space if they cut Watson after June 1, and $173 million in salary cap space if they cut before then.

However, they can emulate what Pittsburgh did with Russell Wilson this offseason by offering a potential starting job to a quarterback being paid by another team (in Wilson’s case, Denver).

And this is where Cousins ​​comes into play.

The Falcons gave the 36-year-old a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed last offseason, and he only managed 15 games before being sent to the bench.

With Atlanta taking Penix Jr. in the first round and turning to him late in the season, Cousins’ time is up.

The Falcons could cut Cousins ​​this offseason, which would then make him even more attractive since the Browns could sign him to the veteran minimum.

“Hanging on just for the money will only prolong the inevitable,” an NFL national scout told ESPN. “They saw what Denver did and they’re fine. The Browns just need to do this on a larger scale.”

It’s possible the Browns select a quarterback in the draft since Cleveland has the No. 3 pick entering Week 18.

But there are questions about this quarterback class and the Browns could use help across the roster. The Browns could also theoretically use Cousins ​​and Watson to lead a touted prospect.

The only downside to this scenario is that Cousins ​​may no longer be good.

Cousins ​​threw 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions this season, but struggled in his first season before being benched after a torn Achilles tendon.

However, those numbers appear to be Pro Bowl-caliber compared to Watson’s five touchdowns and three interceptions before suffering his own ruptured Achilles tendon in Week 7.

Cousins ​​also worked with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota, and perhaps the Browns coach is better suited to help him get back into shape than the Atlanta coaches.