Receiver Kenny Britt decided to join the Browns without knowing who the quarterback will be in 2017. And that’s fine with him.
“We are going to work with the guys we have now,” Britt told reporters on Friday. “We can only hope or wish. That’s not my decision of who they bring in or who they don’t bring in. Whoever is here is going to be here. Whoever is going to be here is going to be here to help us win a championship.”
It’s a simple philosophy, and bluntly pragmatic given the current status of the roster. Britt, who had never gotten a significant payday in the NFL, will receive more than $8 million per year to join the Browns. So details like who will be throwing the passes don’t mean much — especially since Britt managed to gain 1,000 yards with Case Keenum and Jared Goff in 2016.
“They said they are going to get the problem fixed, and I believe that they will,” Britt said. “Regardless of who is the quarterback or what is going to happen throughout the season and OTAs, my job is to make the quarterback look good. Regardless of who they have under center, it is my job to make him look good.”
Britt arrives as Terrelle Pryor leaves. But Britt isn’t thinking about replacing the popular and promising converted quarterback.
“I’m not filling in anybody’s shoes,” Britt said. “I have my own shoes to fill to tell you the truth and walk around in. Whatever he did here was on him, and good luck to his career and his success that he had here, but right now, it is moving forward. We have the players that we have here and who is going to be on the sideline that we are lining up with each other. That is our main focus is us and who is going to be here.”
“Who is going to he here?” is the question Browns fans surely will be asking, over and over again until someone is. Specifically, a quarterback around whom to build.
Until then, Britt will do the best he can with whoever is here. Or there. Or wherever.