QB Ryan Tannehill to Visit Cleveland Browns; Due Diligence or Something More?

Hot on the heels of Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur making it clear that Colt McCoy would be the team's starting quarterback—reiterating what general manager Tom Heckert and team president Mike Holmgren have already said—reports have surfaced that they'll be hosting quarterback prospect Ryan Tannehill for a visit.

Though Holmgren has stated in the past that he isn't against quarterback competition, it's highly doubtful this upcoming meeting with Tannehill represents a threat to McCoy's starting status.

Tannehill is one of the top quarterbacks of this year's draft class and is a likely target of a number of teams. The Browns may be among them, but it's not in order to make him their starter in his rookie season.

Further, the move could simply serve as a red herring to other teams with interest in Tannehill in a move to manipulate the market in a way that could end up favoring the Browns—trading down a few spots, for example, and picking up more draft picks in return.

For the Browns to pick up Tannehill, they'll need to do so in the first round—which seems like an expensive waste of a draft pick for a team that has so many needs on offense, quarterback not among them.

But the team may as well do its due diligence. Tannehill is projected to go in the first round as the No. 3 quarterback of this draft class, but he didn't participate in drills at the scouting combine while healing from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot, so teams don't entirely know what they're getting in him.

His workouts could potentially cause his stock to drop, making him potentially available in the second round should the Browns still have interest. Cleveland is likely at some point in this year's draft to pick up a quarterback, one to provide depth at the position and potentially be groomed for a starting role down the line if the McCoy project doesn't pan out.

As far as we know now, Tannehill would be a major upgrade over Seneca Wallace, so if the Browns can get him (at a reasonable spot in the draft), they should.

However, they should not pick up Tannehill at the expense of their more pressing needs, such as right tackle, running back and wide receiver, and that's something the Browns are well aware of.

If a later-round quarterback is a better fit, then that's likely the direction they'll take, and it's safe to assume Tannehill isn't the only passer they'll host or work out in the coming weeks.

Keep in mind that teams can schedule up to 30 visits with draft prospects.

Tannehill is among a number of players the Browns will be checking out—in the coming days, they'll be meeting with running backs Isaiah Pead and David Wilson, my personal favorite tight end in Ladarius Green, LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, West Virginia defensive end/outside linebacker Bruce Irvin, defensive end Whitney Mercilus and offensive tackle Jonathan Martin.

It's safe to say that all these players have piqued the Browns' draft interest in one way or another, but that not all will stay on their radar after the meetings and workouts, Tannehill included.

There's zero indication that the Browns have any other plans than for McCoy to start the regular season as the team's starting quarterback. This is McCoy's show—Holmgren, Heckert and Shurmur have made that abundantly clear—and Tannehill is just playing a bit part in it this month.

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