That’s where ditching him may have been a mistake. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, who’s struggled mightily in four losses, admitted having a wiser player to turn to would help.
"It would be valuable to have a guy who has been through this and understands it all," Kizer said. "But when you have a quarterbacks coach in coach (Hue) Jackson, essentially I already have that. The conversations that we have are more on a personal level where we can share thoughts and create dialogue. It is not just coach talking down to a player. That relationship in itself is something that I have used as a mentor tool, but also, I will go elsewhere. I have some good relationships with guys who have played in this league outside of this locker room, and I try to use them as much as I possibly can."
The other Browns quarterbacks, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler, are fellow youthful signal callers. Perhaps Cleveland misjudged the importance of leadership in the second year of a major retool.
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