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As the Cleveland Browns begin their search for at least two quarterbacks this offseason, they could potentially look to trade for Geno Smith or Derek Carr.
While Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons is a popular name to link to the Browns because of his relationship with head coach Kevin Stefanski, Dawgs by Nature’s Jared Mueller has released a list of rumors he has heard. And one of them has to do with the potential availability of both Smith and Carr. This, of course would not stop them from potentially also drafting Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward.
Here is what Mueller reported on the veteran quarterback market heading into the new league year:
“Besides Cousins, Cleveland believes either Geno Smith and/or Derek Carr could be made available this offseason.”
Smith has one year left on his contract with the Seahawks, so if they are not open to extending the veteran, they could trade him. It would be hard to find a better option out there this offseason than Smith to make a move at the quarterback position in either free agency or on the trade market.
Carr is a bit more expensive. However, if the Browns were to trade for him from the Saints, they would only take on his $40 million base salary with no guaranteed money attached to the deal. So while his base salary is $50 million in 2026, the Browns would be under no prerogative to keep him on the roster.
It’s evident both of these guys are bridge quarterback options, and neither would prohibit the Browns from taking another one at the top of the 2025 NFL draft. However, it’s hard not to see both as a better option than Cousins.