Joe Flacco was atop the Cleveland Browns‘ preliminary depth chart at quarterback forward of the group’s first preseason game on Friday. The 40-year-old Flacco is at present forward of veteran Kenny Pickett at No. 2 and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.
Availability is definitely one of many principal the explanation why Flacco is at present slated because the Browns’ beginning quarterback. Whereas Flacco has remained wholesome, every of the Browns’ different three quarterbacks have handled accidents in the course of the first two-plus weeks of coaching camp.
Pickett, who obtained a good portion of the first-team reps at first of camp, missed three consecutive practices after injuring his hamstring on July 26. He recently returned to practice in a restricted capability.
Gabriel, the 94th decide on this yr’s draft, was restricted throughout Monday’s follow on account of tightness in his hamstring. When he has been wholesome, Gabriel has reportedly struggled with his accuracy as he and Sanders proceed to get acclimated to the NFL sport.
Sanders, the group’s fifth-round decide, didn’t take part in group drills throughout Saturday’s follow due to arm soreness. Sanders, who was again at follow on Monday, mentioned that he had beforehand handled arm soreness in school.
With these accidents lingering, the Browns are reportedly signing Tyler Huntley to have an extra arm available during this week’s joint practices.
Shedeur Sanders held out of team drills in Browns training camp with first preseason game coming up
Cody Nagel
Flacco’s spot atop the depth chart is probably going a byproduct of each his performances in follow in addition to his continued availability. Pickett, who has been determined to win the starting job since he arrived in Cleveland by way of a commerce again in March, had been having fun with a stable camp previous to his hamstring harm.
“I believed Kenny had a powerful block there,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday. “He did use his mobility a pair instances there and is a quick participant. He can actually run. I believed he had an excellent 4 days.”
What’s subsequent for the Browns quarterback competitors?
Whereas it is essential to take preliminary depth charts at face worth, Flacco’s spot on on the prime is one thing to pay attention to.
The Browns nearly actually will not have greater than three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and they’ll threat dropping one in every of them in the event that they attempt to stash somebody on the follow squad (of their present quarterbacks, Huntley would the one most probably to finish up on the follow squad). Meaning that there’s a seemingly state of affairs the place the Browns commerce a quarterback between now and the beginning of the common season.
Relating to Gabriel’s place on the depth chart, that may be a case of the Browns merely placing the upper drafted rookie forward of the opposite. It is also a straightforward technique to muzzle a few of the outdoors expectations on Sanders, who, moreover his minor harm setback, has been enjoying a solid camp.
Given his upside, the chances of the Browns buying and selling Sanders is slim. The Browns buying and selling Flacco can be slim given his age and expertise working Stefanski’s offense. That leaves Pickett and Gabriel as the 2 most probably commerce choices if the Browns determine to go that route.
Kenny Pickett explains determination to win Browns starting QB job despite recent hamstring injury
Bryan DeArdo
At this level, the Browns would seemingly get extra for Pickett given his expertise (25 profession common season begins) and pedigree as a former first-round decide. If the Browns really take a look at Flacco as their beginning quarterback three weeks from now, the chances of them buying and selling Pickett to a QB-needy group look fairly good. That might change, nevertheless, if Pickett outplays his older teammate in the course of the remaining weeks of coaching camp. That would depart Gabriel or Sanders because the odd man out.
Given all of those potential eventualities, the Browns’ three preseason video games ought to supply extra intrigue than the same old exhibition video games, beginning with Friday night time’s showdown in opposition to the Panthers in Carolina.