The NFL Scouting Combine is next week, and the Cleveland Browns front office and fans alike will not have to devote hours to studying the quarterbacks in Indianapolis.

That is a refreshing development.

Baker Mayfield solidified the position that has haunted this franchise since its return to Cleveland in 1999 with a historic rookie season, breaking the single-season rookie touchdown passing record in just 13 games.

His growth under interim offensive coordinator and new head coach Freddie Kitchens was significant based on Mayfield’s first-and-second-half splits.

In addition, Mayfield consistently praised the presence of backup quarterback Drew Stanton as a major reason behind his strong rookie campaign. Mayfield told NFL Network’s Chris Rose prior to the Saturday night game against the Denver Broncos that “you can’t put a price on how valuable he is for our offense.”

Having Stanton in the quarterback room is invaluable to Mayfield’s development. Luckily, he remains under contract with Cleveland through next season at his $2.65 million salary. However, Tyrod Taylor hits the open market at 4:00pm on March 13, leaving the Browns with just Mayfield and Stanton under contract.

The Browns should not be satisfied with just those two.

Take Stanton’s recent play into consideration. In the 2018 preseason, Stanton attempted just seven passes, completing only one for seven yards. He was active for just one game in the regular season when Taylor was forced to miss the game due to a concussion.

Not exactly backup material. It is clear the Browns view Stanton solely as a mentor and would be uncomfortable if he was forced into significant game action.

This means general manager John Dorsey and the rest of the front office will likely target a veteran in the free agent class once the new league year begins.

Overall, there should be quite a bit of movement. Nick Foles seems destined to land a starting job outside of Philadelphia. It is hard to imagine the New Orleans Saints handing out a big deal to Teddy Bridgewater. The aforementioned Taylor is poised for greener pastures. But one name makes a ton of sense.

Ryan Fitzpatrick.

New Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is moving forward with Jameis Winston as his quarterback, leaving Fitzpatrick to find a new home. His familiarity with new Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken makes Fitzpatrick a natural fit. He is more than serviceable as a backup and could play in a disaster situation; just look at what he did at the beginning of the 2018 season.

Outside of the listed options, the market is less than ideal. Plenty of ex-Browns —whose failures led to the selection of Mayfield — are at the top of the list. It would not be shocking to see Fitzpatrick made a priority by Dorsey and Co.

Instead of focusing time and energy on the draft-eligible quarterbacks this offseason, the Browns will be vetting free agent options to protect themselves on-the-field come September.