This Cam Ward throw will have Browns finally ready to kick Deshaun Watson to curb

The Cleveland Browns are watching the worst QB season in recent memory unfold right before their eyes. It just so happens that Deshaun Watson carries a $72.9 million cap hit next season, which... oof. The Browns are stuck with Watson for a couple more years barring divine intervention, but that does not mean Cleveland cannot draft and develop his replacement.

Unfortunately for the Browns, the 2025 NFL Draft is widely hailed as a less-than-great quarterback class. There isn't a Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to get scouts out of bed in the morning. Instead, Cleveland will be picking between deeply flawed and idiosyncratic options.

Pretty much every mock draft has a different QB at the top, if there even is a QB at the top. There is never a shortage of bad teams in need of better quarterback play, but there may be an actual quarterback shortage in the 2025 draft. Many of the projected top picks before the season — Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers — have either struggled or been hurt, leading to more uncertainty than usual.

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders will remain the talk of the town, but there is so much baggage there. Instead, Cleveland should start keeping tabs on a Heisman favorite from South Beach — Miami Hurricanes gunslinger Cam Ward.

The college football world has embraced him as the signature QB of the 2024 campaign so far. It's time for NFL scouts to do the same.

Here's some proof for ya.

Cam Ward is an obvious Deshaun Watson replacement candidate for the Browns

Once upon a time, this was Deshaun Watson — the buzzy ACC superstar with a great frame, legitimate dual-threat ability, and a canon arm. It's hard to track exactly what caused Watson's downfall, besides maybe karma. But we can safely say that Ward is a better option short and long term, giving the Browns a cheap, rookie-contract replacement to develop in Watson's stead. Cleveland can eat the rest of Watson's contract while knowing there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

In a weak QB class, we should probably bet on physical tools and upside above all else. Ward has some maddening tendencies, but his arm strength and raw, live-wire athleticism is unmatched among top quarterbacks in this class. He has trimmed down his turnover numbers this season, instead channeling his rare combination of quickness and power into a Heisman-worthy campaign.

Going into this week's matchup with Louisville, Ward led D-1 college football in passing yards (2,219) and touchdowns (20) — oh, and yards per attempt (10.4) and QB rating (182.4). The dude is having a special season and he's still 22 years old, with plenty of room to grow. He also has 161 yards and three scores on the ground, for good measure.

The Browns would benefit from bringing such an electric talent into the building. Watson is a sinking ship. The money stuff sucks, but Cleveland cannot tether itself to such an objectively horrific quarterback for optics. That contract won't magically come off the books, but Cleveland needs to weather the storm and move on as best it can. Ward sure seems like the best option these days as Cleveland barrels toward the No. 1 pick.