Contrary to the beliefs of many, it does not make sense for the Cleveland Browns to trade their current backup quarterback.
The preseason can be funny sometimes, all it takes is one game against guys that probably won’t make a roster to create an opinion about the team building process. Add in the fact that there is some weird obsession with moving on from Case Keenum, and things just get that much worse.
First things first, Kyle Lauletta played competently in the first preseason game, credit where credit is due, but that should not be a reason to trade Case Keenum. If anything, it is a reason to trade Lauletta to a team looking to add another quarterback to their depth chart. The fact of the matter is that Keenum has value to one team and one team only, the Cleveland Browns.
Keenum is familiar with the offense and is more than capable of stepping in on a temporary basis if needed. The same does not apply to Lauletta at this point. If Cleveland found themselves in a situation where Baker Mayfield was unable to play, it is much more reasonable to expect Keenum to weather the storm than Lauletta. There is more than enough talent on the roster at the skill positions that Keenum could be able to keep the team afloat if Mayfield misses time.
A fairly large part of the trade Case Keenum movement seems to be rooted in a strange infatuation with money. Using money as a primary driving factor in team building is not only ineffective, it’s incredibly foolish. Is it ideal to be paying Keenum, the Browns backup quarterback, the money he is getting? No, but until last year there so many questions about Mayfield that it was absolutely necessary to have a contingency plan. And now that plan is still an option in case Mayfield suffers an injury or suddenly becomes ineffective. The fact of the matter is that Keenum can handle the bulk of Mayfield’s duties at this current point in time. Mayfield certainly has the ability to make what is now a slight gap into a large one, if the latter occurs Cleveland can make Keenum expendable after the season. If not, it would be pretty smart to have comparable quarterbacks on the same roster wouldn’t it?
