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The Cleveland Browns have waived quarterback Kellen Mond, bringing an end to his stint with the team that latest less than a year.
Mond arrived in Cleveland last season via a waiver claim after getting let go by the Minnesota Vikings. The Browns saw some upside in the former third-round and claimed him with the hopes that he could evolve into a capable option behind Deshaun Watson.
Mond didn’t necessarily show that he couldn’t fill that role, but his chances of making the roster were impacted by the emergence of rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the presence of veteran Joshua Dobbs.
Mond completed 32-of-55 attempts for 297 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for an 83.7 rating in three preseason appearances. Thompson-Robinson has gone 30-of-46 for 348 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, adding some impact plays with his legs.
Browns Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson Overshadows Kellen Mond
Mond started the Browns’ first preseason game against the New York Jets, going 13-of-19 for 92 yards with a touchdown and interception. It was a decent outing but was overshadowed by Thompson Robinson’s breakout performance. The rookie passed for 82 yards and a score, adding 36 yards on the ground and leading the Browns to a comeback win.
It’s unknown what kind of interest Mond will generate as a free agent. But wherever he lands, he’ll bring a more polished product to the table compared to when he arrived in Cleveland. That’s something he credited to watching Watson — a former NFL passing leader — work.
“I think Deshaun, he’s extremely intelligent and I think one thing when he watches films, he’s able to kind of put himself in the shoes of the quarterbacks that he’s watching and be able to be creative with play calls and figure out how we can create explosive plays,” Mond said on August 1. “You see him coming from Houston and I think he threw for 5000 yards in ’20, so just trying to see how he can get back to that shape and how he can create explosive plays in this offense.”
Joshua Dobbs Will be Primary Backup QB for Browns
Shortly after the release of Mond, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski made another quarterback decision official, dubbing Dobbs the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Watson for Week 1.
“We’re excited where all those guys are,” Stefanski said of his quarterback depth.
Dobbs — who was the darling of the preseason for the Browns last year — returned to Cleveland this offseason after a brief starting stint with the Tennessee Titans. On top of a solid skill set that can emulate Watson’s play, he also has a very good relationship with Watson that dates back to their high school days.
“I’ve been around Dobbs since I was in high school, growing up in the same area,” Watson said on April 18, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “So it’s good to see him come back and what he did whenever he was away from the building for that short period of time for Tennessee was definitely dope to see, too. So it’s good to have the guys around me and good to see the guys have success and opportunities.”
The decision with Dobbs relegates Thompson-Robinson to the No. 3 emergency quarterback role, meaning he can suit up but only play if Watson and Dobbs are injured.
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Browns Cut QB, Make Final Call on Deshaun Watson’s Backup