As training camp approaches, everyone wants to know who’s going to be the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback. With a room consisting of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Deshaun Watson, it’s undoubtedly the most intriguing quarterback room in the league. However, while everyone is curious to learn the starter, figuring out which quarterback the team will move on from is just as big of a question.
The Browns are unlikely to carry four quarterbacks on the the active roster after training camp. That means one of the four between Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders, will likely be cut or traded before Week 1. The question is, which quarterback makes the most sense to move on from. Training camp performances will help answer that question, but there are also other factors that could play a role.
Matt Holder explained some of those factors in a recent Bleacher Report piece, naming one trade each team should make before the season. For the Browns, Holder argued Joe Flacco should be traded, emphasizing his age as the primary reason.
Bleacher Report says Browns should trade Joe Flacco before the season
Flacco is the most established and experienced quarterback in the room, and that would make him a good starting candidate. However, at 40 years old, Flacco’s experience is almost viewed as a negative, since Cleveland needs to find a franchise quarterback. He isn’t the QB of the future, and that’s why Holder argues the team should just move him and let the young guys battle it out.
"While Flacco could be the starting quarterback in Cleveland this year, let's be honest, the Browns are going to have a tough time being a playoff contender this season.Matt Holder (Bleacher Report)
So, allowing Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders to see if they can be the franchise's future behind center is a better long-term plan than trotting out a 40-year-old who is on a one-year deal.
Meanwhile, trading Flacco would yield some draft capital from a team that could use a veteran backup."
This seems like a logical approach, and the actual decision could ultimately come down to Flacco and Pickett. The Browns won’t want to move on from their rookie quarterbacks so soon, and if they cut either one of them, it’s unlikely they’ll clear waivers to be added to the practice squad. That means the two veterans will battle for one spot.
While Pickett has upside because of his age, Flacco has the experience in the league and with the Browns, and will probably be the better veteran option in a room to lead two rookies. If the Browns see it that way, it’s Pickett who will he moved. Ultimately, Cleveland will have to let things play out on the field, then it will start weighing other factors.