Browns Could Replace Deshaun Watson with Fast-Rising Star QB

The Cleveland Browns could look to replace Deshaun Watson with a fast-rising star quarterback.

Oct 5, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are six games deep into their 2024 schedule and are just 1-5. After falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, it's very clear that changes will need to be made.

Many fans and media members have placed most of the blame on the shoulders of quarterback Deshaun Watson. He certainly deserves blame, but he's far from the only problem the Browns need to address.

From the coaching staff to most position players, Cleveland simply hasn't been good. The front office is even to blame for some of what's happening as well.

All of that being said, Watson is drawing the most publicity for the struggles and it seems very likely that the franchise will consider replacing him either this season or during the offseason.

It seems plausible that if the Browns end up with a top-10 or top-five draft pick, they could consider a quarterback. That is what most mock drafts have suggested they do recently.

Bleacher Report is now urging Cleveland to replace Watson with a fast-rising star college quarterback.

In their new column, they have urged the team to target Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward in the 2025 NFL Draft.

"One thing the Browns could do is to make Watson the most expensive backup quarterback in NFL history or release him with a post-June 1 designation next season. Either way, the Browns would need a starting quarterback on a rookie contract. Taking one of the top signal-callers in the draft would allow them to make that kind of decision and there's a lot to like about Cam Ward."

They also included a brief breakdown of Ward's game from Dame Parson, one of their NFL Draft analysts.

"Cam Ward is among the most gifted throwers in the NFL draft class. The combination of arm talent, mobility/athleticism, and accuracy is growing among NFL scouts," Parson wrote.

So far this season with Miami, Ward has completed 69.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,219 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also picked up 161 yards and score three touchdowns on the ground.

Producing those numbers in just six games is impressive. He's without a doubt a Heisman Trophy candidate at this point in the season and has forced his name into being a top-10 pick potentially.

It's possible that the Browns would go with a more established quarterback like Quinn Ewers. However, if they choose to get aggressive and go for superstar potential, targeting Ward could make an awful lot of sense for the franchise.