The Cleveland Browns haven’t known much success over the past decade or so, but this team might just be on the rise.(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

We’ve all seen the list — the catalog of terrible quarterbacks who’ve started for the Cleveland Browns since the team’s last postseason appearance. It’s dreadful — full of broadcasters and assistant coaches and McCowns. Not good. The list, and the related losing, has transformed this franchise into a punchline.

Cleveland and its fans have endured 14 consecutive non-playoff seasons, bottoming out at 1-15 last year. But under Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta, this has become an analytics-minded franchise that suddenly makes logical choices. The Browns have acquired dynamic young talents in pretty much every position group, plus the team has hoarded future early-round draft assets. Long term, there’s a lot to like in Cleveland. We might be a year away from seeing a big swing in the Browns’ win-loss record, but the trajectory of this franchise seems to have finally changed.

Also, during the 2017 draft, they added a quarterback who might just be something more than yet another name on an embarrassing list.

When Cleveland goes to the air…

OK, bad things generally happened last season when this team went to the air. Browns quarterbacks completed only 59.6 percent of their attempts, averaging a modest 6.5 Y/A, tossing just 15 TD passes along with 14 picks. Cody Kessler was the best of an unimpressive bunch. He was the only Cleveland QB to finish with more touchdown passes (6) than interceptions (2), and he was the only guy to complete better than 60 percent of his throws (65.6). He wasn’t great, but he certainly wasn’t disastrous.

Kessler completed over 65 percent of his attempts in every collegiate season at USC, so last year’s accuracy was no fluke. His athletic tools aren’t exceptional — adequate arm, adequate size — but he isn’t a reckless passer and he seems to have a good sense for his own limitations. He has the look of a luxury backup, though he’s a slight favorite to open 2017 as the Browns starter.

You’ll recall that Cleveland acquired Brock Osweiler from Houston in a pre-draft salary-dump deal. Osweiler is coming off a horrendous season with the Texans. The Browns had abundant cap space to absorb his ridiculous deal, and the team acquired a 2018 second-round pick in the process. Osweiler has been the subject of various sunshiny pre-camp reports, all of which feel like propaganda. He’s been miserable in actual NFL game action. Cleveland would no doubt love to flip him for an additional pick. After last season, it’s awfully tough to treat these pro-Brock practice reports as anything other than spin. He is verifiably not good.

The Browns used a second-round pick this year on Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer, a player who belonged in the conversation with the three QBs taken ahead of him (Trubisky, Mahomes, Watson). Head coach Hue Jackson has been glued to Kizer on the practice field, constantly in his ear, and the early reports on the rookie have been encouraging. Considering the quality of competition in this QB battle, it’s not crazy to think Kizer can win the opening week job. That’s not to say he’s the favorite, of course, but we have to give him a shot.

Kizer has a big arm and ideal size (6-foot-4, 230), plus he has the ability to make plays on the ground. He was terrific for the Irish back in 2015, with multiple NFL talents in his supporting cast (C.J. Prosise, Will Fuller). He took a backward step statistically last season when surrounded by less dynamic weapons, yet he still threw 26 TD passes and rushed for eight scores. Kizer isn’t likely to be an impact fantasy asset in 2017, but he’s a player of interest for dynasty drafters. Cleveland clearly did well to find a potential franchise QB in Round 2, with the team’s fourth of ten picks.

View photos DeShone Kizer has some learning to do, but Coach Jackson is a pretty fair teacher. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images More

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