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The Cleveland Browns quarterback room is one of the deepest in the NFL. While much of their success will depend on Deshaun Watson to perform at the level he was expected to when the Browns traded for him and gave him a five-year, $230 million contract, they have other options who could fill the role for them when needed.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic projected the Browns 53-man roster. He wrote that the Browns will keep Watson, Jameis Winston, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Jackson wrote that Thompson-Robinson has the “edge” on Tyler Huntley for the No. 3 job.
However, he added that there’s a “chance” the Browns could trade one of them.
“It’s Thompson-Robinson versus Tyler Huntley for the No. 3 job, and for now I give the edge to Thompson-Robinson because he’s been the better thrower in camp and is under a rookie contract through 2026.
“There’s a chance the Browns could trade one of them. There’s even a small chance Huntley will make the team and have some sort of designated quarterback sneak role early in the season with the Browns wanting to protect Watson’s shoulder,” Jackson wrote on August 13. “There are probably a lot of teams that would consider both Huntley and Thompson-Robinson an upgrade to their current rooms, so stay tuned.”
Browns Could Have Trade Suitors Due to Lackluster Backup Quarterback Play in Preseason
Multiple backup quarterbacks around the league struggled in their teams’ first preseason game. Due to that, Huntley, who was Lamar Jackson’s backup, could be sought after. Thompson-Robinson, due to his age and contract situation, could also be sought after.
If teams want to solidify their backup quarterback position, the Cleveland Browns have two players who could do just that on cheap contracts.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report wrote about some lackluster performances from backups around the league in Week 1 of the preseason.
“Projected depth options such as the Los Angeles Chargers’ Easton Stick (5-of-13 for 31 yards and an interception) and Mike White of the Miami Dolphins (4-of-14 for 26 yards) looked awful in their preseason openers,” Kay wrote on August 13.
Browns Need Depth Due to Watson’s Injury
Watson went down with a shoulder injury last season in a Week 10 win. He needed season-ending surgery but has appeared healthy in training camp, throwing every other day during the offseason workouts.
The Cleveland Browns starter hasn’t played in a preseason game yet and isn’t expected to in their second game. However, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on August 12 that the “plan” is for Watson to start the final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stefanski also said that Watson would take the majority of first-team reps in practice as the Browns host the Minnesota Vikings for joint practices.
“Our ones will get the majority of the practice,” Stefanski said, according to Kelsey Russo, a Browns staff writer. “So, it’s going to be our starters versus their starters. You won’t practice as many times with your threes, quote-unquote, in these practices because that’s where they’ll get their work in the game. So, you’ll see a lot of your starters out there. Again, it goes back to getting them mentally and physically ready for the season.”
While Watson looks healthy, the Browns learned last year how important it is to have a good backup quarterback. Having depth around is important, but four quarterbacks might be too many, making it possible that one of them is the odd man out like Jackson predicted.
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