The Cleveland Browns coaching staff is making it clear that rookie DeShone Kizer is not yet ready to be the team’s starting quarterback, but they’re bullish on that changing eventually.
Browns quarterbacks coach David Lee made clear on Sunday that the team has a lot of excitement about getting him into a game environment.
“He’s a lot better than he was in the spring, but he’s still not there, guys,” Lee said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “He knows it. There’s so doggone much and right when he has good practices, then (bad) things happen in a game.
“That’s why this one Monday night is so good for him. That’s what we need. Put him in real lights, a national television game, and see if he can carry these fundamentals that we’re harping on him over and over and over to the game.”
Lee talked about Kizer’s arm strength and how he enables the coaches to dial up any play they see fit.
“He gives you big-play ability in the passing game at the quarterback position,” Lee added. “You guys saw it the other day, the two deep balls. He’s got a great long arm but he can throw corner routes, post routes, skinny post on a line. He doesn’t limit you. You can throw whatever you want to because he’s got such great arm talent.”
The Browns clearly believe they really have something here, which is why they’ve been very patient with the rookie while also offering him a lot of praise. It will be interesting to see him in a game.
