The Cleveland Browns entered the 2025 offseason with four new quarterbacks on their roster, plus Deshaun Watson, who was on the shelf with an Achilles injury.
A full year later, only three of those five quarterbacks are still on the team.
Dillon Gabriel might not be much more than a backup, and Shedeur Sanders, while erratic and not much better statistically, might be in the lead to be the starter. Watson is healthy again, so even he could be an option.
Of course, that's far from a promising outlook for this team. That's why GM Andrew Berry won't rule out stirring the pot this offseason. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Berry teased pursuing another external signal-caller either in free agency or the draft.
“It’s the most important position,” Berry said. “We wouldn’t talk any differently if you’re drafting an O-lineman or a D-lineman or something along those lines. I don’t think that you can invest in it enough.”
Andrew Berry just hinted Browns aren’t done at QB
The Browns' decision to draft two quarterbacks last April was controversial and doesn't look much better now. That said, if they believe that they can do better this time around, they should absolutely ignore the sunk-cost fallacy and get back to the drawing board with another rookie QB.
Then again, this quarterback class is one of the weakest we've seen in years. Using a first-round pick on Ty Simpson might be a reach, and later options would likely be developmental guys or backups. Todd Monken coached Carson Beck at Georgia, and Drew Allar was once projected as a franchise quarterback and is an Ohio native. Still, they'd be gambles.
The Browns could also test their fortune in free agency, but it's not like there are a lot of options. Malik Willis will be at the top of multiple teams' wishlists, and spending $71 million on a guy who's made four starts in the past two years might not be wise.
The San Francisco 49ers have made it loud and clear that it will take a haul to get Mac Jones, and other trade options like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa also come with plenty of risk.
While adding another quarterback to the mix makes sense, especially given what the Browns currently have on their roster, this might be the absolute worst offseason to take that approach.
The Browns are much more than just a quarterback away from being a playoff-caliber team. They can't afford to waste their valuable draft capital on a guy who may not have the upside to be the team's savior.
However, that may not stop Berry from walking the team right into another disaster.