Carson Wentz had a fine rookie season. He exceeded all expectations in Philadelphia and looks like a quarterback the Eagles can build around for the next decade. And the only reason he is an Eagle is the Browns did not think he would evolve into a “Top-20 quarterback,” which convinced them to trade away the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

Cleveland is still stuck in quarterback purgatory and coming off a 1-15 season, but that doesn’t mean the team is regretting passing up on an opportunity to take Wentz.

Via PhillyVoice.com:

“We do like the trade,” said Browns GM Brown. “It positioned us, understanding where we were as a roster, understanding that we were passing on an opportunity at taking on a player or two, whether that was (Joey) Bosa or Wentz, and you tip your hat to Carson. He came in and played well for Philadelphia, and seems to be a quarterback with a high upside. I think this is a trade that probably will work out for both teams.”

The notion that the Browns are OK with having passed on a a franchise quarterback — something they have had since their re-brith two decades ago — may sound a little ridiculous, but that just seems to be the way this front office is operating. It doesn’t seem to be as quarterback-crazy as the rest of the league, an approach that could pay dividends in the near future.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson says the team is prepared to enter the 2017 regular season with its current quarterback group of Robert Griffin III, Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan. Jackson did say they are still looking to upgrade the position, but it doesn’t seem to be the most pressing issue in Cleveland. And nor should it be.

The “Moneyball” front office, which took over last offseason still has a ways to go before the Browns roster is ready to compete for a playoff spot, and recent history shows that it’s best to find your young quarterback after you have already built a solid support system for said quarterback.

Just take a look at the most recent young quarterbacks who have won right from the jump. Russell Wilson wasn’t asked to do too much early on in Seattle, as he had a tremendous defense and running game to lean on. Dak Prescott put up ridiculous numbers in 2016 thanks, in large part, to the best offensive line in the league, an effective running game and a deep group of receivers. Meanwhile Wentz, and first-overall pick Jared Goff, struggled to pick up wins as both were dealing with underwhelming offensive lines and receiving corps.

By the time Philadelphia and Los Angeles can build competent teams around those two, it will be time for the Eagles and Rams to pay their young quarterback cap-crippling deals, making it difficult to keep those supporting casts in place.

Cleveland is working backwards. While most NFL front offices try to find that franchise quarterback as soon as it takes over a team, the Browns seem to biding their time. They won’t overspend for a quarterback prospect just because they are the Browns and haven’t had a good quarterback since the Reagan era. They are going to be patient.

How long can they continue to build before fans start to pressure the team to find that quarterback? That’s a valid question. It could be as soon as next offseason if the team struggles to win a handful of games once again. But if that is the case, the Browns should be in position to grab the next great quarterback prospect, USC’s Sam Darnold, in the 2018 NFL draft after holding off on the QB position in two consecutive drafts — neither of which featured a sure-fire prospect.

If they are able to land Darnold, who is a far better prospect than any we have seen in the last two drafts — their patience will have paid off. If they don’t, they’ll just continue to build until the right guy comes along.