Is Derek Carr Destined to Be the Browns' Latest Quarterback of the Future?

It's not news that the Cleveland Browns are in the market for a rookie quarterback this year.

Three of the top prospects have already been linked to the team—Johnny Manziel has dominated the discussion, Teddy Bridgewater could fall to fourth overall, making him ripe for the Browns' picking, and Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor has the team selecting the quickly-rising Blake Bortles with their first of two Round 1 picks in his latest mock draft.

But, could there be a fourth quarterback in play, and could he be the man the Browns have had their eyes on the whole time?

The NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah appeared on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday and said that the Browns are actually targeting Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr and plan to take him with their second of two first-round picks, at 26th overall. 

	Atts.	Comp.	Comp.%	Yds.	TDs	INTs
2013	659	453	68.7%	5,082	50	8
Career	1,630	1,086	66.6%	12,842	113	24

Jeremiah said that the constant talk that the Browns are interested in Manziel is a "smoke screen" and added that the team was very interested in Carr by the end of the 2013 season. If this is true, it certainly throws off the plans many thought the Browns had for their first-round picks and, at the very least, throws a new quarterback into the mix.

Carr's NFL Scouting Combine performance was impressive. He ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash, had a vertical leap of 34.5 inches and was the second-fastest quarterback in the 20-yard shuttle, with a 4.20-second time. He stood out so much—even without throwing—that Bleacher Report's Matt Miller believes he could even be a top-15 pick in May.

Carr completed 68.7 percent of his passes in his 2013 season, for 5,082 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Though not a runner, he did carry the ball 40 times on the season, for 117 yards and two touchdowns. He's not like Manziel in that manner, but he does have great footwork to the extent that he can exit the pocket when needed.

In many ways, Carr is a safer choice than Manziel. He's not a lightning rod for attention and criticism, and his style of play is less risky. There are many great qualities about Carr, as listed by NFL.com's Nolan Nawrocki, that would make him a good fit in Cleveland. These include:

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Throws come out on time and accurately. Drills short-to-intermediate throws and flashes touch. Likes to play and it shows. Sells out to make a play. Record-breaking production. Adapted to coaching/system change and receiver turnover. Desirable intangibles for the position—advanced maturity, leadership and intelligence. Shows poise and moxie. On-field general who commands the huddle. Passionate about the game and works at his craft.

"

Many of these traits are ones that some scouts and analysts believe Manziel lacks. Considering the Browns are trying to get the quarterback position right—something they haven't managed to do in over a decade—perhaps the safer choice is preferable to the unpredictable Manziel. 

But it's important to note that now we've reached the period of time bridging the combine and the draft, and misinformation will be rampant. Teams will be trying to get each other off their trails and keep each other guessing about draft plans. Smoke screens within smoke screens are the order of the day, and every piece of information released is carefully leaked with an agenda in mind.

So Jeremiah's report could be true or it could be false—or it could contain half-truths. The Browns could have let him have this information, knowing he'd report it, in order to shake everyone off the fact that Manziel (or Bridgewater or Bortles) is the quarterback they are coveting, or that they want a quarterback at fourth overall.

Jeremiah's assertion that the Browns think they can wait until 26th overall to get Carr is somewhat troublesome. It would be one thing if he said the Browns are targeting Carr at No. 4, but at 26, the Browns may be out of luck. Manziel, Bridgewater, Bortles and Carr could all be claimed by other teams by the time the Browns make their second first-round selection. There is certainly no shortage of teams that need quarterbacks this year.

That's why Jeremiah's claims both feel so appropriate for this time in the draft season and are not entirely rooted in reality. Not only are the Browns trying to shy away from their interest in other quarterbacks, they're also trying to distance themselves from the assertion they'd be taking one with their fourth-overall pick?

It sounds more like pre-draft subterfuge than a 100 percent accurate portrayal of what they are absolutely going to do on May 8. 

Still, it's hard to ignore that Carr is a talented quarterback who, at the very least, should be included in the discussion of Cleveland's plans. Jeremiah's report simply expands the field of rookie quarterbacks the Browns are looking closely at from three to four.  

We've known all along that the Browns are highly likely to take a quarterback in the first round—the only new news is that Carr has become a realistic candidate for that selection.

All NFL Scouting Combine statistics via NFL.com's official tracker.