The Cleveland Browns are one of the teams heading into the 2013 offseason that could be in need of a quarterback and Tim Tebow could be a solid option for the franchise if they decide not to pursue Ravens Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Flacco.
According to Peter King at SI.com, while it is unlikely, there is a chance the Ravens will find Joe Flacco's free agent price too high and allow him to leave to another team. The Browns could be in a perfect situation to be that team, as they could take a player from a rival and they have nearly $50 million to work with in cap space.
Baltimore can designate Flacco a franchise player, meaning the browns could sign him, but would have to forfeit a draft pick. The team has a lot of room to work with, which is another reason why Tebow could be a good fit. Flacco would cost a high price, but Tebow would be relatively cheap and the team could use the money to build a better roster.
Cleveland is currently under a new regime after owner Jimmy Haslam purchased the franchise and head coach Pat Shurmur and executive Mike Holmgren are out, with Rob Chudzinski and Joe Banner serving as CEO. The last group picked current quarterback Brandon Weeden in the draft and Tebow could serve as a new chapter for the franchise.
The Jets have yet to find a trade partner for Tebow, with the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars all looking like possibilities at first, but that has cooled. Arizona's new coach Bruce Arians is skeptical of Tebow, while the Jaguars flat out said they would not acquire him. The Eagles looked like a possibility with Chip Kelly as coach, but after Mike Vick resigned, that move is unlikely now.
The Browns went just 5-11 last season and was one of the worst offenses in the league, scoring just 18 points per game while averaging less than 100 yards rushing per game. Chudzinski ran the offense in Carolina with Cam Newton, which could help benefit Tebow, and he brought in Norv Turner to serve as offensive coordinator.
Tebow could benefit from playing under Turner, who has been known as an innovative and offensive-minded coach throughout his career, and Chudzinski was great with Newton, another mobile quarterback, coaching him to 3,869 yards and 19 touchdowns along with 741 yards and eight rushing scores this year.
The Browns have a young roster with Trent Richardson and Josh Gordon and Tebow could be the spark they need on offense. It would be a clean start for both the Browns and Tebow and give them an exciting option to give to fans. The Jets misused Tebow this season, putting him on the field for only a handful of plays, leaving him to gain just 100 yards on the ground and he threw only eight passes one year after leading the Broncos to a win in the playoffs over the Steelers.
Alex Smith could also be a possibility for the Browns, as it is likely that the San Francisco 49ers will either trade or release him after the breakout season of Colin Kaepernick.
