No, four quarterbacks on one roster does not constitute a sound plan, for the Cleveland Browns or any NFL team, really. You just need one to start, and one to be the backup. A two-man quarterback room is plenty. If you have a young, developmental project, you can keep him around, too. But a fourth quarterback just means you’re soaking up a spot off the 53-man roster that could go to a player who might contribute.
The Browns, as any observer of this team surely knows at this point, are about to have a four-man quarterback room. Deshaun Watson is the starter, Shedeur Sanders is the QB2 and Taylen Green the developmental guy. But Dillon Gabriel, who has been on the injured reserve with a back injury, has gotten healthy enough to come off the IR–the Browns opened his practice window this weeks, the first step toward getting him back on the active roster.
Browns Can Wait on Dillon Gabriel
That’s raised plenty of questions and sparked plenty of rumors and speculation about what might happen with Gabriel–or Sanders–going forward. Namely, could the Browns trade one of the young QBs and clear him off the roster, picking up a draft pick in the process? The team has insisted that is not the plan, but the alternative is that less-than-ideal four-man quarterback room.
But, as coach Todd Monken explained on Wednesday, the Browns plan on Gabriel does not require any immediate decisions, even as he works his way back to health. That’s because opening Gabriel’s practice window still gives the Browns 21 days to make him active. And they appear poised to use all 21 of those days to push off a decision.
Browns Not Feeling ‘Urgency’
Speaking to the Browns media on Wednesday at the team facility, Monken explained the approach.
He was asked whether there was some “urgency” to get Gabriel activated. “I don’t have to feel any way at this point, we still have three weeks,” Monken said.
He continued: “We opened up, what is it, the three-week window to kind of see where we are at. Get him out there, let him practice, kind of see where we are at. And get the reps that we can get. A lot of that will be the look squad, or it will be individual, but I look forward to seeing him out there.”
Dillon Gabriel ‘A Good Football Player’
Technically, the Browns are supposed to activate Gabriel when he is healthy, but they can milk this practice window for a bit longer and see how things play out–a Watson injury, given he had played just 19 games in four years before this one, can’t be discounted.
Monken said, either way, he will be happy to have Gabriel as a more active participant around the team.
Said Monken: “He is a good football player, no doubt. Just like it didn’t change when he got in there late in some of the other games and didn’t play as well as I know he is capable of. I was happy for him in the last preseason game to be able to play and operate the offense at a high level. He certainly is like having another coach on the field. I am just excited to get him back.”
Browns Reveal Quarterback Plans Amid Dillon Gabriel Return