Former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt realizes he took a leap of faith by signing with the Browns as an unrestricted free agent.
Not only is the franchise coming off a 1-15 season, but it’s also looking for its next starting quarterback.
“They said they are going to get the problem fixed, and I believe that they will,” Britt said Friday during his introductory conference call. “Regardless of who is the quarterback or what is going to happen … my job is to make the quarterback look good.”
Britt, 28, must wait to find out which quarterback he’ll need to make look good after striking a four-year deal with the Browns on Thursday worth $32.5 million, including $17 million guaranteed.
The Browns cut Josh McCown on Feb. 7 and Robert Griffin III on Friday.
They acquired Brock Osweiler in a trade with the Houston Texans on Thursday, but the purpose of the deal for the Browns was to gain a 2018 second-round draft pick. They don’t envision Osweiler being a factor for them and could release him or trade him, provided another team is willing to do a deal.
CBSSports.com reported Thursday the Browns are shopping Osweiler and a late-round pick in 2017 for a third-round choice in 2018 and will eat at least half of his $16 million salary.
Osweiler’s exit would leave second-year players Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan as the only quarterbacks on the roster. Kessler went 0-8 last season and suffered two concussions. Hogan played but didn’t start.
A trade for New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo or Cincinnati Bengals backup AJ McCarron shouldn’t be ruled out, but obstacles would need to be cleared for either move to happen.
The Browns will likely draft Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett first overall April 27, but they also have the 12th selection and could use it to pick a quarterback, whether that means staying at No. 12 or trading up.
Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer headline the quarterback class. Watson and Trubisky excelled in throwing sessions at the NFL Scouting Combine while Kizer struggled with accuracy issues.
“You never know what is going to happen at all,” Britt said of the team’s quest for a quarterback. “They said they have some things planned, and all I can do is sit back and believe and have faith.”
But why would a receiver willingly join a team without an answer at quarterback in place?
Money is the obvious answer, but Britt cited his admiration for coach Hue Jackson.
“I wanted to be a part of this,” Britt said. “I wanted to be a part of the rebuilding.”
Britt, 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds, is coming off his eighth and best NFL season. He had career highs in catches (68) and receiving yards (1,002), plus five touchdowns receptions. The former first-round pick (No. 30 overall) from Rutgers posted a career-high nine touchdown catches in 2010 as a second-year player with the Tennessee Titans.
Britt credited former Rams wide receivers coach Mike Groh, who’s now with the Philadelphia Eagles, for guiding him to a career year by fine-tuning his route running.
“I hope the future is brighter, and it’s going to be here in Cleveland. I know that for a fact,” Britt said. “I’m going to work 10 times harder than I ever have. Throughout my career, I have just been learning the bumps and the hills that you’ve got to get over, and I think I have passed through those throughout my career.”
Britt also spent the past four seasons with new Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. They were with the Titans in 2013, then the Rams from 2014-16.
Britt said Williams didn’t help recruit him to the Browns, but the defensive coach might have recommended him to the organization.
“I’m pretty sure he probably threw his two cents in about how I was killing his defense every day in practice,” Britt said with a laugh.
Whoever plays quarterback will like Britt if he continues to frustrate defenses.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.