AFC coaches address their QB situation, but much remains unsettled

Quarterbacks were a hot topic at the AFC coaches’ breakfast Tuesday morning at the NFL annual meetings, with at least four teams -- Browns, Broncos, Texans and Jets -- still facing significant questions about the most important position.

And, it seems, a lot of those questions still remain unanswered.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson, whose team owns the No. 1 and No. 12 picks in next month’s draft, said he and his staff are continuing to evaluate the draft prospects. The Browns have opted to hold private workouts with the top players in the draft class rather than attend pro days.

Jackson declined to answer questions about potentially trading for a starting quarterback, like New England’s Jimmy Garoppolo or Cincinnati’s A.J. McCarron. Jackson coached McCarron before becoming the Browns’ head coach in 2016.

“Anything is a possibility until it’s not,” Jackson told reporters.

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One quarterback who has yet to be considered by the Browns is Colin Kaepernick. The former 49ers starter remains a free agent. Jackson said it would be “premature” to discuss whether Kaepernick’s protest of the national anthem and his off-field social justice work would be a factor in signing (or not signing) him.

“Not saying it won’t come up later on. We have to exhaust everything we’re doing. But at this point, he hasn’t come up,” Jackson said on NFL Network.

As for Brock Osweiler, on Monday team owner Jimmy Haslam said, "he could stay or we could trade him."

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph called Tony Romo a “non-issue” for his team, as the Cowboys quarterback remains under contract in Dallas. The Broncos have downplayed potential interest in Romo in recent days, and Joseph on Tuesday continued to talk up Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch.

Joseph said the team could add a veteran quarterback, but if so, it would be a “young guy” who would serve as the No. 3 quarterback behind Siemian and Lynch. Those two returning quarterbacks will compete for the starting job. Joseph said the team is considering drafting a quarterback in the later rounds as well.

Texans head coach Bill O’Brien declined to discuss Romo. The Texans have only two quarterbacks, Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden, under contract after trading Brock Osweiler to Cleveland (and dumping Osweiler’s salary).

O’Brien told reporters he would like to have three or four quarterbacks on the roster by training camp, but he offered a few specifics about how the team will acquire the additional players.

“We’re a long way away from what our 53-man roster will look like,” O’Brien said.

The Jets, meanwhile, are done adding veteran quarterbacks, coach Todd Bowles said.

The team signed Josh McCown earlier this month, and Bowles said McCown will compete for the starting job with young passers Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty.

Bowles told reporters the Jets would not add another veteran, which would appear to close the door on speculation that the Jets could be interested in former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. He remains a free agent after being released by Chicago earlier this month.

"I wouldn't say we're done. We may or may not draft one,” Bowles told reporters.

Bowles went as far as to say "there is a scenario" where the Jets use the sixth pick in the draft to take a QB ... and start him in 2017.

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones