It’s been a chaotic offseason for the Cleveland Browns, and all of the chaos is because of the team’s crowded quarterback room. With Deshaun Watson still on the roster rehabbing an Achilles injury, the Browns added Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders to the roster this offseason. When the team returns for camp, all four healthy quarterbacks are expected to compete for the starting spot.
Since the draft, analysts have consistently pointed out how difficult it’s going to be to have a fair quarterback competition with four guys, while also trying to get a team prepared for a season. Simply put, there aren’t enough reps. While Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski tried to figure out the best way to do things during OTAs and minicamp, the crowded battle is providing some challenges for the rest of Cleveland’s players.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who’s coming off a career year last season, recently spoke with ESPN about how he’s motivated to follow up his first Pro Bowl year with an even better season. During the discussion, Jeudy opened up about the challenges of preparing for a season while not knowing which of four guys will be throwing him the ball in the regular season.
"It is pretty difficult because you want to always build that relationship with a quarterback and have that consistency throughout the years. But as a receiver going through that, you just got to keep working and you got to learn how to adjust no matter what. Some situations ain't going to go as planned, so you just got to figure out how to just keep going and stay on the right path."Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy is working on being adaptable as Browns decide between multiple quarterbacks
Jeudy wasn’t just talking about this offseason in Cleveland; he was also reflecting on his days with the Denver Broncos, where he caught passes from several quarterbacks. However, the takeaway is the same: it’s hard to build chemistry and create the special relationship between a quarterback and No. 1 receiver, when four quarterbacks are being rotated through reps. To Jeudy’s credit, though, he’s being a professional about it and admitting he has to work and be prepared no matter what.
Ultimately, this is why it would benefit the Browns to decide on a starter early in camp. If the team can figure out QB1 within the first two weeks or so, instead of dragging a decision out all throughout camp, the starter will be able to use the rest of camp to build a rapport with the rest of the offense and be prepared for the season.