Getty Quarterback Josh Rosen #19 of the Cleveland Browns drops back for a pass during the third quarter of a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 21, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Eagles defeated the Browns 21-20. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns have spent the entire offseason to this point adding quarterbacks, until finally deciding to let one go Tuesday.
The Browns terminated the contract of QB Josh Rosen on August 30 as part of a sequence of moves to trim the roster to 53 players, per the team’s official website. Cleveland added Rosen over a month ago while still in the midst of uncertainty around how much time starter Deshaun Watson would miss via suspension. Rosen was brought in to compete with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs for the third-string job behind backup Jacoby Brissett.
Despite having far less experience in regular season games, Dobbs outshone Rosen during the preseason and put an end to any backup quarterback controversy. As it stands, Brissett will start and Dobbs will serve as QB2 across Watson’s 11-game suspension.
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Browns May Not Be Finished Adding QBs, Despite Rosen Termination
GettyQuarterbacks Joshua Dobbs (left), Deshaun Watson (center) and Jacoby Brissett (right) of the Cleveland Browns warm up during OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on May 25, 2022 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Browns’ decision to part ways with Rosen may have been the last meaningful call the franchise will make under center for the near future, but that’s not a guarantee.
Cleveland’s front office has been clear that it is in search of two legitimate starting quarterbacks to occupy their roster simultaneously. Whether or not the Browns have that with Watson sidelined is a matter of perspective.
Dobbs’ preseason consisted of three appearances, during which he combined to complete 35 of 53 passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Dobbs also carried the ball six times for 57 yards and one touchdown.
As impressive as his efforts were, Dobbs has thrown only 17 career passes during regular season competition since entering the NFL in 2018. How his preseason play against the likes of backups for the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars might translate to a matchup with the reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals in a divisional showdown, for instance, remains a legitimate and unanswered question.
A player like Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers would make some sense for Cleveland, though his contract was probably too expensive to trade for until yesterday. It was thought the Niners might cut the former Super Bowl starter, who carried a nearly $27 million cap hit in the final year of a five-year deal. Instead, the team reworked Garoppolo’s terms, signing him to a one-year contract worth $7 million, plus incentives, on Monday.
The deal also included a no-trade clause. That doesn’t mean Garoppolo can’t be traded, it just means he will have veto power on any trade that doesn’t interest him. The Niners’ move has been billed as one to keep Garoppolo in-house as the backup to Trey Lance, but that could prove problematic for the second-year QB’s confidence and could cause a locker room rift if Lance struggles.
Whether the Browns have a chance to land Garoppolo remains to be seen, though they are considerably more likely to trade for him at $7 million than at his previous salary mark, should all parties be interested.
One thing is certain, though. Should Brissett struggle mightily or get hurt, or if some ill fate befalls Dobbs, the Browns will be actively seeking a starting-caliber QB to bridge the gap until Watson’s return.
Browns Make 20 Roster Moves Tuesday to Cut Team to 53 Players
Getty ImagesQuarterback Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.
Rosen was just one part of a busy day for the Browns Tuesday, as the organization parted ways with 19 players in total.
The Browns terminated the contracts of Rosen and running back John Kelly Jr., while Watson was officially moved to the suspended list. Cleveland then waived 17 players, including the following who are listed in alphabetical order:
- LB Dakota Allen
- WR Daylen Baldwin
- TE Miller Forristall
- TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
- G Blake Hance
- WR Mike Harley Jr.
- LB Wille Harvey Jr.
- S Lavert Hill (injured)
- C Brock Hoffman
- CB Shaun Jolly
- CB Herb Miller
- TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
- G David Moore Jr.
- T Alex Taylor
- DT Roderick Perry II
- FB Johnny Stanton IV
- WR Easop Winston