We can always count on the Cleveland Browns to do odd things.
Sure, Cleveland — go right ahead and keep four quarterbacks on your 53-man roster.
Apparently, the Browns can’t see all the holes elsewhere on their roster. Guess they forgot they went 3-14 last season.
Let me help those jokers on Lake Erie out with one factoid: You’ve made the playoffs just three times in 25 seasons since this version of the Browns began play.
Part of that is because you traditionally don’t do smart things. We can talk about Deshaun Watson later.
Anyway, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the team is preparing to keep four quarterbacks.
That foursome is likely starter Joe Flacco, offseason acquisition Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Veteran Tyler Huntley will apparently be released by Tuesday’s deadline to get down to 53.
“We have a room that we like all the guys in,” Berry told NFL Network. “We don’t really see that as a problem. We more see it as an opportunity.”
Perhaps the Browns really would prefer to have Sanders on their practice squad and not on the active roster. Of course, he would have to clear waivers for Cleveland to sign him there.
You might say all the other 31 teams passed on the fifth-round selection at some point in the NFL Draft, so why would they be interested now?
Well, teams just went through training camp and three preseason games.
If you’re first-year New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore, you might be realizing your options — Spencer Rattler, second-round pick Tyler Shough or Jake Haener — need a major upgrade.
That could make Sanders a pretty prudent waiver pickup if his name pops up.
If the Browns really like Sanders, they aren’t going to want to expose him and risk losing him. If they didn’t think Sanders had a chance to develop, there would be no need for this four-quarterback discussion. You’d simply move forward with Flacco, Pickett and third-rounder Gabriel and use Sanders’ roster spot to fortify another position.
An odd Browns-like thing happened near the end of Saturday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Cleveland trailed 17-16 with 2:03 left when coach Kevin Stefanski pulled Sanders out and inserted Huntley.
Huntley, nicknamed “Snoop,” is the same guy forecasted to be waived in coming days.
Apparently, the communication wasn’t handled well. Sanders had no idea he was being removed. He saw Huntley about to take the field and quickly approached Stefanski.
“I didn’t know I was out,” Sanders told reporters. “Yeah, I didn’t know. I was on a bike, I was powering up. I was powering up for that two-minute drive because that’s just a situation every quarterback dreams for. That’s many situations I’ve been in before, and I thought I was in, so then he told me I wasn’t in and I was like, ‘OK.'”
Sanders had a poor outing — 3 of 6 for 14 yards and five sacks for 41 yards.
Huntley went in and led the Browns to the game-winning field goal.
“He’s a competitive kid but the plan was to go with Snoop there,” Stefanski said of Sanders approaching him. “But I wouldn’t make anything more of it than that.”
Hey coach, we’ll know Tuesday how much to make of that.
Of course, the Browns wouldn’t have all this quarterback drama if Watson hadn’t proven to be one of the worst trade acquisitions in NFL history.
Cleveland gave Houston three first-round picks in March 2022 for a quarterback whose reputation hit rock bottom after two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct.
The Browns then gave him $230 million guaranteed on a five-year deal.
Watson has played just 19 games for Cleveland and is currently rehabbing from an Achilles injury.
When he gets healthy, maybe the Browns can go with five quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
