Former Raiders GM warns Browns of trouble without veteran QB as Shedeur Sanders interest fades

The Cleveland Browns need a proven veteran quarterback after Deshaun Watson's injury, but Kenny Pickett is decidedly not the man for the task. With the continued rumors that they are passing up on Shedeur Sanders, at least one person believes they will enter a precarious situation when the new season begins.

On Thursday's episode of Rich Eisen's eponymous show, former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said:

"We got to go find a veteran and Aaron Rodgers, if he goes to Pittsburgh, like we all think, you know, at the end of the day, what does that leave for a quality veteran starter? To me, it's Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr."

He continued:

"If you don't get either one of them, then uh oh, we're in the Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco world, and you got to be careful, because I'm not sure you want Kenny Pickett under center week one in Cleveland."

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Insider reveals obstacles to Browns' interest in Kirk Cousins

One of the trade options Mayock mentioned for the Browns is Kirk Cousins, whom the Atlanta Falcons have been rumored to be wanting to ditch after he was benched near the end of last season for leading the league in interceptions and fumbles.

Speaking on Thursday's episode of Pat McAfee's eponymous show, former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky proposed pairing the multiple-time Pro Bowler with Travis Hunter:

"With the Browns, if Kirk Cousins becomes their starting quarterback and they add a player like Travis Hunter... I think they immediately become a competitive football team and I would bank on that being the case."

However, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter sees a problem in that: the magnitude of the quarterback's contract, which makes him nigh-untradeable. Speaking on 92.3 The Fan, he compared the dilemma to Russell Wilson's in Denver:

"[The Falcons] got the money, they paid him the money, they're not getting anything back. They got 14 games for $100 million and appear to be fine holding him hostage... Cleveland doesn't have $40 million, more dead money to put in on a quarterback when they have Deshaun sitting there."

Continung further, he foresaw no trade packages making sense for either party:

"The Browns wouldn't give them a draft pick. There's no trade that we can come up with that works... The problem is the Browns are taking the [salary cap] hit number that is moving with him. So they can't take it on."

The 2025 Draft will be held from April 24 to 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.