Adam Schefter update on Browns' draft plans is perfect Kirk Cousins sales pitch

The Cleveland Browns have a monumental decision to make at the quarterback position this offseason. A notable report from one of the league's most clued-up insiders represents a pretty solid sales pitch in their potential pursuit of Kirk Cousins.

Cleveland's experiment with Deshaun Watson is over. It'll go down as a cataclysmic error that the Browns could take years to recover from. With jobs on the line entering the 2025 campaign, head coach Kevin Stefanski could turn to Cousins, a player he knows well from their time together on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Atlanta Falcons recently paid Cousins a $10 million roster bonus. Raheem Morris isn't expecting the former Michigan State star to attend OTAs. The head coach also recognized that a move away would be the best possible solution for all parties, despite the financial ramifications attached.

Browns' draft plans make trading for Kirk Cousins more feasible

Adam Schefter of ESPN believes that the Browns are leaning away from taking a quarterback with the No. 2 pick. The senior insider stated that Cleveland is looking toward an elite prospect such as Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter rather than gambling on Shedeur Sanders. If this scenario comes to fruition, it makes trading for Cousins even likelier if Atlanta is willing.

Well, Cleveland does need to take a quarterback, but it certainly feels like they have visions of matching Abdul Carter with Myles Garrett and unleashing that tandem against the rest of that division, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson and the rest of that division, whoever plays quarterback in Pittsburgh, maybe Aaron Rodgers. I think that they recognize that Abdul Carter is an elite talent, and Travis Hunter is an elite talent, and that's the decision to get back to them that the Giants have to make, do they view Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter in that category, and do they have a high enough grade on Shedeur Sanders that they could justify taking Sanders ahead of one of these higher rated players? And right now, it doesn't feel like Cleveland's moving in that direction.Adam Schefter via Bleacher Report

This would be a decent landing spot for Cousins in his current predicament. He knows Stefanski's scheme and is familiar with his demands. He'd also get an unchallenged run to the starting gig with only Kenny Pickett in the quarterback room currently.

The Browns need to do something. Keeping pace in the AFC North is difficult enough. It's almost impossible without a stable quarterback. Cousins might not be the force of old, but he represents a significant upgrade on anything Cleveland has right now.

Watson included.

It's a fluid situation. Something could be worked out before the 2025 NFL Draft. It might take a little longer. Atlanta still believes it has leverage, even though their already-made commitment to Michael Penix Jr. suggests otherwise.

If the Browns take Carter or Hunter at No. 2, it might not be much longer before a trade for Cousins gets rubber-stamped. And in all honesty, that's the most prosperous route they can take right now.