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Browns coach Hue Jackson remains a big fan of rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, so much so that the second-round pick could be the starting quarterback in the team's preseason debut next week despite a poor scrimmage on Friday night, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

Kizer, who went 7-for-14 for 46 yards with no touchdowns conceded that "I've played better," and added, "For me to step out there and not play at the level that I'd like to play at is a little disappointing for myself, but once again, it's another learning opportunity."

Kizer could move to the top of a crowded depth chart on Monday, and may be under center on Thursday when the Browns host the Saints -- just don't read too much into it.

"Absolutely, I will (look into shuffling the quarterbacks)," Jackson said. "I have to. We have a game next Thursday. [But] it doesn't mean whichever road we decide to travel for next Thursday ... that is the starter for the season.''

We're on record as saying that Kizer should, in fact, be the Browns' starter in 2017 because there really is no downside to giving him the job. The Browns can see what they have, and if it becomes clear at some point in the coming months that Kizer may not be the long-term solution, the organization can turn its efforts to finding its next franchise quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft, which could be one of the best classes to come along in a decade.

For now, Kizer appears to be on the right track. On the first day of training camp, Jackson admitted that he really liked what he saw from Kizer, the former Notre Dame standout.

"Yes, he is [coming along faster than expected],'' Jackson said at the time. "He's understanding the offense. I could take you back to his days at OTAs -- he struggled calling the plays. The words were a lot simpler. The language was a different. I did not see as much of that today. That is improvement. Obviously, he made some good throws and did not turn the ball over. Those things are good. Again, it's just one day. We are not going to make decisions on guys in one day. We have a lot of work to do."

It's no secret that Jackson is fond of Kizer. A year ago, Jackson was trying to talk himself into Robert Griffin III as the Browns' quarterback. Now Jackson has the guy he drafted, and can mold into the passer that fits the offense he wants to run. The question is if Kizer can handle the responsibilities that come with the starting gig.