Paul McQuistan (67) walks off the field after the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Paul McQuistan appeared in all 16 games for the Seattle Seahawks in each of the past three seasons, and they didn’t have any issues at all letting him walk in free agency this offseason. While McQuistan was durable and versatile enough to play both guard and tackle, he was also putrid. Clearly the weakest link on the Seahawks offensive line, McQuistan is 30, so the only improvement he can make is becoming a credible player and not an unmitigated disaster as a starter. The rise of youngsters Alvin Bailey and Michael Bowie confirmed that McQuistan would be out the door in 2014, but it didn’t take him a month to find a new gig.
The Cleveland Browns have officially announced the signing of McQuistan to an undisclosed deal, and there’s no reason to be exciting than this one. He can’t be any worse than Oniel Cousins, and his versatility makes him the more valuable player overall. But make no mistake, McQuistan was dreadful last season, and he looked even worse considering how talented the rest of the Seahawks roster is.
Last season, McQuistan had 12 starts at either left guard or left tackle last season, and hopefully he isn’t pressed into starting action. Shawn Lauvao is getting overpaid by the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scooped up Cousins, so the Browns can only hope that McQuistan will do much better in 2014 than he did in 2013 and be an upgrade over those other two guards.