Cleveland Browns ‘very interested’ in Derek Carr
Derek Carr speaks to the media. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Fresno State Bulldogs product Derek Carr is one of the “big four” quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, and he’s usually ranked as the 4th-best QB behind Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, and Johnny Manziel. But the reality is that Carr could easily be ranked as the 2nd-best QB in the class, as the three potential franchise quarterbacks behind Bridgewater are almost interchangeable. They all have all the tools to be great QBs, but they also have question marks that could make them busts. The Browns will likely have their pick of either Carr or Manziel with the fourth pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, so they are definitely in a position to pick up Carr.
The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, and the respected draft analyst revealed that sources tell him the Cleveland Browns are “very interested” in drafting Carr.
It’s incredibly interesting news, and I mocked Carr to the Browns in my latest mock draft after initially giving them Manziel. Carr is a distinct possibility for the Browns, and he has the strongest arm in the class. I could see him creating an excellent hook-up with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, and hopefully the Browns can add another impact WR to help out their next QB. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Kyle Shanahan is a huge fan of Carr, who is also very athletic and has excellent intangibles.
But is he the best option for the Browns? We’ll just have to keep on guessing. I think all of the non-Bridgewater QB prospects are best off sitting on the bench and learning in their first year, and the Browns are in the perfect position to do that with their QB due to the presence of veteran backup/stopgap option Brian Hoyer, who would likely compete with any rookie passer in training camp.