Browns VP: No pressure for Kizer to start in 2017

DeShone Kizer might be Cleveland's future starting quarterback, but the Browns won't rush the rookie into the lineup if he isn't ready this upcoming season.

Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown said Tuesday he hopes Kizer will be afforded the time to transition to the NFL level thanks to the presence of Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler, and Kevin Hogan, with all four quarterbacks likely set to fight it out in camp.

"Ideally we'd be able to come in and give DeShone some time and again, Hue (Jackson) talked about this ... making sure he understands that he doesn't feel like he has to have the pressure on him to be the Week 1 starter or even the 2017 starter at some point,'' Brown said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "We like Cody, we like Brock, we like Kevin, and he doesn't need to feel that pressure.

"He's a young man and he doesn't need to feel that pressure ... and he's going to have a long time that he's with us and in this league, and if things go the way I'm sure he's planning on it and the way we hope it goes, we don't have to rush it.''

Cleveland ended Kizer's fall in the second round, taking him at 52nd overall. The former Notre Dame standout was thought to be a first-round prospect for much of the pre-draft process, but was ultimately taken behind three other pivots - Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson, all of whom went in the opening round.

Even after selecting Kizer, Brown said his team will keep searching for an answer under center, and wouldn't rule out adding another veteran quarterback to the current group if necessary.

"Every day until we solidify the position we leave this building thinking about what opportunities might be out there, so absolutely,'' Brown said.