Getty Images The Cleveland Browns nearly traded for a new quarterback to backup Deshaun Watson at the trade deadline.
The Cleveland Browns were one of two finalists for quarterback Joshua Dobbs at the trade deadline.
The Browns were scanning the market for a backup quarterback at the October 31 trade deadline. Dobbs made a lot of sense, considering he spent most of last season and the preseason in the Browns system before being shipped to the Arizona Cardinals for a fifth-round pick.
He started eight games for the Cardinals before being sent to the Minnesota at the trade deadline. But, according to Dobbs, the Browns were also in the mix for his services.
“Josh Dobbs told me by phone after the Vikings’ 31-28 win that he found out he could be traded on Tuesday morning. His agent told him to pack a bag. He was told the two possibilities were Minnesota and Cleveland,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio tweeted on Sunday, November 5.
The Browns opted not to trade for a veteran backup, a sign that they felt good about the health of Deshaun Watson, who had missed the better part of four games with a rotator cuff strain but returned on Sunday to face the Cardinals. Watson had to shake off some rust but finished with a solid stat line, completing 63% of his passes for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Joshua Dobbs Shines for Vikings on Short Notice
The Vikings traded for Dobbs after starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 8. Dobbs was not expected to play in Week 9, but when starter Jaren Hall went out with a concussion with 2:49 left in the first quarter, Dobbs was forced into action with limited knowledge of the Vikings’ offense — or even his teammates’ names.
“I knew a lot of first names,” Dobbs said after the game. “And I know a lot of nicknames, per se. But names, that’s an assignment for this week.”
Dobbs was 20-for-30, throwing for 158 yards and tallying 3 total touchdowns.
The Browns made a mistake by trading away Dobbs ahead of the season. The team was comfortable with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking on the primary backup duties, but he stumbled when his number was called earlier this season. The Browns shifted to PJ Walker as their starter with Watson out, but it wasn’t pretty. In three games, Walker passed for 618 yards, 1 touchdown and 5 interceptions.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Feels Good After Return
The backup quarterback spot could be a moot point for the Browns moving forward, with Watson returning to the lineup. The Browns’ $230 million quarterback took a lot of criticism during his time away due to injury, but he said he felt good after picking up the 27-0 victory against the Cardinals on Sunday.
“It feels good. This is what I’ve been preparing and training very hard to get back to,” Watson said after the game. “Just to get out there and play free and be able to be very close to myself. Just go out there and compete and have fun with my teammates. That’s what today brought.”
The Browns are now 5-3 and firmly in the mix in the difficult AFC North. Watson is confident that Cleveland can make some noise.
“There’s no ceiling, sky’s wide open,” he said of the team’s potential. “So, we’re going to go as far as we want to take us, and we got to just keep stacking with it days, keep stacking these wins and focus on that.”
Watson and the Browns face a much stiffer test this week against the Baltimore Ravens, who have won four in a row and boast one of the best defenses in the NFL.