This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Former Brown believes Cleveland is just a QB away from a bright future
Former NFL defensive back and former Cleveland Brown Louis Riddick believes in the future of the Browns . On Wednesday's episode of First Take, Riddick became the second ESPN employee to outwardly say that they believe in the Browns.
Riddick's take went as follows: "I think Andrew Berry... has done a nice job compiling a pretty darn good roster. It's not just the perimeter weaponry... they have invested a lot of resources in the offensive line through free agency and through the draft. They have some really nice building blocks... If they can get (quarterback) right, this team is going to be heard from in the future."
"If they can get [their quarterback] right, they're gonna be heard from here in the future." @LRiddickESPN thinks the Browns are a QB away from contending 👀 pic.twitter.com/Qd2q9gAcwu
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 19, 2026 He continued by saying that, like the offensive line, they have built a pretty strong defensive line and have a bunch of pieces on defense who will be around in Cleveland for a long time. The final piece of the puzzle is, obviously, the quarterback.
Since the Browns came back to Cleveland, they have been searching for this position. Everyone has seen the jersey and knows the seemingly never-ending list of Browns' quarterbacks who have tried their hand at turning this franchise around.
However, this iteration of the quarterback search is a little bit different. Regardless of what you think, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has built a roster that is actually ready to win.
This year, two guys are going to have their final tryouts to win the job . From the first three weeks of training camp, neither Shdedeur Sanders nor Deshaun Watson has separated themselves from the lead. One of them could seize the spot and never give it up. That would be a welcome sight for Browns fans: a guy under center they can build around for the future.
The other option is that this team has another top-five pick in the draft and gets their pick of the litter among these young quarterbacks coming out of college next year. Whether it is Arch Manning, Dante Moore, CJ Carr, or a guy like Drew Mestimaker, that guy will have the weight of the city on his shoulders.
Regardless, the Browns are just a quarterback away. Hopefully, they find whoever that guy is in the next eight months, and they can immediately turn this franchise into a winner. Once that guy takes the field, the turn is going to happen very fast.
Or, they continue to swing and miss, and Browns fans never get out of the constant cycle they have been in for a quarter-century.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Former Brown believes Cleveland is just a QB away from a bright future
Former BrownClevelandFormer Cleveland BrownsLouis RiddickFormer NFLCleveland Brown Louis RiddickBrownsOn WednesdayFirst TakeRiddickESPNAndrew Berry
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