The free agent market may not be kind to Joe Flacco this offseason, which might result in a score for the Cleveland Browns.
The 39-year-old Flacco will try the free agent waters this offseason, aiming to land a starting job someplace. However, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com spoke with an unknown general manager who does not believe Flacco will have clubs knocking at his door.
The primary issue, according to Pluto, is Flacco’s turnovers.
“We spoke with Joe Flacco, and he thought the market for Flacco would be limited,” Pluto said on his podcast “Terry’s Talkin.” “Even if the numbers are staggering, turnovers are a black mark on your record in today’s football. They dislike players who commit turnovers. I was relieved to hear that because I believed we’d have no chance against Flacco. He believes they will.
Flacco sparked the Browns’ offense during the regular season, finishing 4-1 in starts and passing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. But turnovers were a problem. He threw eight interceptions in five regular-season games. He tossed two more against the Houston Texans in a 45-14 Wild Card win. Both returned for touchdowns.
It is not surprising that Flacco has received little interest. After all, he sat on his couch until the Browns called in mid-November last season. However, he demonstrated that he still has something left in the tank, but it may not be enough to secure a starting job.
Browns Made ‘Mistake’ Banking on Deshaun Watson
Under former general manager Andrew Berry, the Browns were not afraid to spend money on a backup quarterback. Case Keenum and Jacoby Brissett were two veterans who earned good money as trustworthy backups in Cleveland.
That changed last year, when the Browns traded Joshua Dobbs before the season began and named rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as backup. Unfortunately, the Browns faced the worst-case scenario at quarterback, with Watson appearing in only six games due to a pair of shoulder injuries.
The Browns ended up using five different quarterbacks in total. Watson, Thompson-Robinson, PJ Walker, Flacco, and Jeff Driskel all had time as starters.
“Hanging over the Browns is 12 games in three years,” Pluto added in reference to Watson. “Last year, they made a tremendous error by expecting Deshaun would be durable since he had been before. This is why they didn’t even keep Dobbs. They just went with DTR, who they liked, and scooped up PJ Walker from a football rummage sale.”
Joe Flacco Open to Return to Browns
Flacco has made it plain that he wants to pursue a starting position in free agency. But if that doesn’t happen for the former Super Bowl MVP, Cleveland remains an option.
“I’m open to being back in Cleveland, but I don’t want to rush any decisions,” Flacco stated on the “Pardon My Take” podcast on January 18. “I can’t say enough good things about how this organization is being run right now.”
Flacco realizes that if he returns to the Browns, he will be Watson’s backup, who is anticipated to be ready to go when training camp starts. The Browns do not believe that bringing Flacco back would generate any locker-room problems.
“Zero considerations,” Berry said of the anticipated “polarity” surrounding the decision to bring Flacco back. “Because of how both individuals are, it’s not a concern internally at all.”
Berry also stated that the backup quarterback position is something that the organization appreciates. He described it as a “top 30 position on the roster.”
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