Just like last season, the Browns seem destined for failure – and it’s hardly surprising. The writing was on the wall since the preseason, when four quarterbacks were battling for the starting job. As expected, it turned into a complete disaster. Of those four quarterbacks, only two remain.
The Browns currently hold a 1-5 record, sitting at the bottom of the AFC North. Their offense is now being led by rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was selected in the third round of the most recent NFL Draft. Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Week 5 following a series of disastrous performances with Cleveland.
With Gabriel under center, nothing has really changed. There were a few bright moments – such as his two touchdown passes against the Minnesota Vikings in his first start – but his next game, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was a disaster. The former Oregon quarterback was forced to throw 52 passes and still failed to record a single touchdown.
The Browns are linked to Fernando Mendoza
Quarterbacks like Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, LaNorris Sellers, and Garrett Nussmeier are all projected as potential first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, and each has been linked to the Cleveland Browns. If the season ended today, the Browns would hold the No. 2 overall pick – but a new name has entered the conversation.
That name is Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback who has been one of the biggest surprises in college football this season. Mendoza has thrown for 1,423 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions. More importantly, he has led the Indiana Hoosiers to a 6-0 record overall and 3-0 in Big Ten conference play.
The reason Mendoza is being connected to Cleveland is his past relationship with Bill Musgrave, the Browns’ current quarterbacks coach, who previously served as offensive coordinator at the University of California (Cal). Before transferring to Indiana, Mendoza spent three seasons at Cal, playing under Musgrave’s system.
Things are about to get interesting for the Cleveland Browns. The team appears to be going nowhere fast – Dillon Gabriel remains inconsistent, Shedeur Sanders isn’t getting opportunities, and Kevin Stefanski’s future looks uncertain. All signs point to the Browns targeting a new quarterback in the upcoming draft, and according to ESPN’s latest mock draft, that player could very well be Fernando Mendoza, projected to be selected by Cleveland in the first round.
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