Getty Quarterback Kellen Mond.
The Cleveland Browns have some solid depth at the quarterback position and the passer who will likely be left on the outside looking in is Kellen Mond.
The Browns claimed Mond off waivers after final roster cutdowns in August and he stuck around for the entire year despite not being active. Jacoby Brissett was the starter for the first 11 games of the season, with Joshua Dobbs serving as the backup. When Deshaun Watson returned from his 11-game suspension, Brissett went to the bench, while Dobbs was cut, later being claimed by the Tennessee Titans and starting games down the stretch.
Mond is now part of a quarterback room that includes, Watson, Dobbs — who returned as a free agent this offseason — and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Mond was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. He has no resume to speak of, going just 2-of-3 for 5 yards in his one career regular-season game with the Vikings.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes that Thompson-Robinson is a potential future starter for the Browns and that Mond could end up being traded — or on the practice squad.
“Barring something unforeseen, the Browns are going to their extended training camp with four quarterbacks and plan to keep three on the active roster,” Jackson wrote. “As part of that plan, Dobbs is the No. 2 quarterback on a relatively cheap one-year contract, and Thompson-Robinson will be the No. 1 quarterback of the future and a game-day inactive. Look for Thompson-Robinson and Kellen Mond to get chances to play in the preseason; the Browns could eventually try to trade Mond or keep him on the practice squad.”
Joshua Dobbs Excited to be Back With Browns
At least for the meantime, Dobbs is slated to be the backup for Watson next season and it was a good get for the Browns. They brought in someone who knows the system and got the opportunity to start some meaningful games at the end of last season.
He may have had a chance to compete for a starting role somewhere else but was compelled to come back to the Browns, especially with some additional stability around Watson’s situation.
“For one, it’s a second year for everyone in the scheme, especially at the QB position,” Dobbs said. “And then, two, there’s no uncertainty. You know the situation. Last year at this point, you didn’t know if he was going to get suspended at all, if he was going to be suspended all season. There was just a lot of unknowns out there, and I think that weighs on everyone, that weighs on the QB room, that weighs on Deshaun — obviously, the most important person it weighs on — the coaching staff and the team.”
Dobbs impressed in his preseason appearances last year with the Browns, completing 35 of 53 passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. In two games with the Titans as the starter, Dobbs passed for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, completing around 59% of his passes.
Deshaun Watson Has Shined in Preseason With Browns
Watson has some visible rust last season when he got on the field, which was expected after 700 days away from football. He played the final six games for the Browns and the team going 3-3 in his starts, completing 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.
Watson has looked sharp this offseason in OTAs and minicamp, impressing his coaches and teammates.
“I’m pretty far ahead of where I was last year,” Watson said at minicamp. “Last year was, as far as football, being on the field, just running a new system, trying to adapt to different teammates, different players, how guys run routes, how Kevin calls the plays, and just being able to process the game at the speed I know.”
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