Deshaun Watson’s status as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback appeared to be over after he tore his Achilles a second time and saw owner Jimmy Haslam call the trade for him a swing and a miss. In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Haslam has softened his stance and the team may actually consider starting him in Week 1 this September.
Weeks ago, Shedeur Sanders was the likely leader in the clubhouse, but it’s possible the Browns want to get some return on investment since Watson has a $45 million cap hit this season. If he shows glimpses of looking like the guy he used to be, there could be a world where the Browns open up a window to trade him and get out from his contract a bit early.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently added her two cents on the topic and highlighted how new head coach Todd Monken is a big fan of building his offense around a mobile quarterback, as he obviously did with the Baltimore Ravens when he helped Lamar Jackson put up the best numbers of his career. Because of that, she believes Watson could have the inside track to start over Sanders.
“He does love a mobile quarterback,” Cabot said. “And that would lead anyone to believe that Deshaun Watson would have the edge in this quarterback competition.”
Sanders has shown little to no mobility dating back to his college days. Watson, on the other hand, was one of the more mobile QBs in the NFL at one point, though it is fair to wonder how much of that mobility he has left now that he has a twice-torn Achilles and is on the wrong side of 30.
To further complicate matters, the Browns are being repeatedly linked to consensus No. 2 QB prospect Ty Simpson in the draft, but his mobility wouldn’t exactly fit Monken’s scheme either. It could be a baseless rumor, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Browns took another dip into the QB well this April.
It’s a long shot, but Dillon Gabriel showed plenty of mobility in college. Unfortunately, he is the forgotten man and it’s tough to project where he fits into this quarterback competition, if at all.
The Browns still have nearly half a year to figure out who their starting quarterback is in Week 1, so there is no rush. However, it is interesting to hear these reports that indicate an organizational shift in philosophy. Only time will tell if they are headed in the right direction.
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