Joe Thomas has been around the block a few times, so when he speaks, rookies would do well to listen. Former Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer heard that Thomas said he might not be ready for a starting role just yet, an evaluation that he accepted -- with a caveat. Currently the second stringer on the depth chart behind Brock Osweiler, Kizer said that with time comes comfort, and time isn't something he's had yet.
"He's been in the NFL since I've been in seventh grade, so whatever he says is probably pretty accurate," Kizer told the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot. "Obviously, it's still the same message that I continue to push. The more time you have, the more comfortable you become, the more confident you are throwing the ball, and he's just seconding that statement."
Thomas also mentioned that Kizer was making progress. For a second-round quarterback, that's obviously a good sign.
Don't expect too much patience from the Cleveland faithful this year regarding Osweiler. If he struggles early, it's very likely that Kizer will end up getting the nod. Kizer realizes how the process is supposed to go.
"This is a process that has been preached to me from day one how this is going to go," he said. "When they're ready and I'm ready, I can trust in the fact that the coach is going to put me out there. So as long as I can continue to trust in them, which I will, there isn't really a timeline for myself. I'm just trying to get better every day and allow Coach Jackson to make the calls."
As of now Kizer is ahead of Cody Kessler on the depth chart, but that's also subject to change. Kessler, 24, played in nine games his rookie season, starting eight. He was largely a game manager, and the Browns went 0-8 while Kessler threw for six touchdowns and two picks in his time. If Kessler impresses in training camp and the Browns decide that they want a bit more time to groom Kizer, he is a viable option as well.
