3 reasons why the Browns will most probably draft Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter after the Joe Flacco move

On Thursday, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco agreed to return to the Cleveland Browns on a one-year deal worth $4 million in base salary. The deal also ensures additional performance-based incentives beyond the base salary for the 40-year-old veteran quarterback.

Last season, Joe Flacco played for the Indianapolis Colts, throwing for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions across eight games. He finished the year with a 2-4 record as a starter, showing flashes of his former self. Despite limited wins, Flacco was easily considered an alternative for Anthony Richardson.

The Browns face uncertainty at quarterback following Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury, which may sideline him for 2025. Watson previously missed play time in 2024 due to a partial tear of the same tendon.

Cleveland also recently traded for Kenny Pickett, who started only once for Philadelphia last season. Nevertheless, the Cleveland Browns have an opportunity to have enough room to utilize both players from time-to-time as per the different factors of a game.

Flacco offers a stabilizing presence, especially as the team weighs its options with Watson’s recovery. The veteran has previously donned the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl. Furthermore, he has also played with the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Jets.

The move also signals that the Browns may not be looking at Shedeur Sanders or trying to draft up to select Cam Ward. The team is turning their heads to Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter – two defensive-oriented stars with heavy potential. There are several reasons as to why drafting Hunter or Carter at two makes perfect sense and amongst the several reasons, a few standout.

Joe Flacco’s presence reduces immediate quarterback need

The Browns’ move to bring back veteran Joe Flacco, who led a surprisingly successful late-season surge in 2023, offers short-term quarterback stability. Considering this, the Cleveland Browns ideally won’t have a pressing need to draft a quarterback in the first round.

Flacco’s 1,616 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and a 90.2 passer rating in just five games in 2023 were instrumental in getting Cleveland into the playoffs. More importantly, he easily understood and leaned into Kevin Stefanski’s offensive system.

With Deshaun Watson out for the next season and a $230 million contract weighing on the cap, the Browns are right to look for low-risk, high-upside solutions. Flacco’s presence gives Cleveland breathing room to either develop a mid-round rookie quietly or delay drafting a QB entirely. In case they choose to follow the first route, they’ll end up having an opportunity to develop a future QB in the backends.

As understood from above, the Browns have a clear path to focus their high-value picks on prospects like Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter.

Cleveland Browns can enhance their defense with Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter

The Cleveland Browns’ 2023 defense was among the best in the NFL—ranked #1 in total defense, allowing just 270.2 yards per game. They even landed their first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honors in Myles Garrett. However, they fell off the wagon a bit in 2024. They weren’t all bad, considering the weak offense.

Hunter or Carter can alleviate the pain points. Hunter, an elite two-way player, snagged 3 interceptions and 32 combined tackles in the last season for the Colorado Buffaloes. Carter, on the other hand, recorded 68 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks in 2024 for the Penn State Nittany Lions, offering versatility as an inside-out linebacker hybrid.

Jim Schwartz, the Browns’ defensive coordinator, can utilize Abdul Carter for his firepower rushing abilities in his aggressive defensive schemes. Meanwhile, Travis Hunter’s defensive skills present the Browns with choices in how to use the player. He can be used as a nickel corner or even a third safety in small package plays.

Deion Sanders’ comment and Travis Hunter’s two-way abilities point to the Browns selecting him

Post the Annual Pro Day hosted by the University of Colorado, Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes’ head coach, revealed that he had a conversation with the Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. He added that Haslam told him that the Browns are either going to draft Hunter or Shedeur Sanders. With the latest Flacco deal and the concerns revolving around Sanders, the Browns could be leaning more towards Hunter.

Travis Hunter, being a two-way player, is predicted to be the generational talent of the offseason. Therefore, skipping out on him won’t be ideal. In addition to his defense numbers, he also has a good skill set as an offensive player. Their offense was terrible, ranking at the bottom of the offensive numbers last season.

Visualize Hunter locking down slot receivers on defense, and then catching passes from Joe Flacco in red-zone sets. The Browns could end up being better than the rest of the division, who all on paper, present a much better roster than them.

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