One look at available quarterbacks should make Browns' starter decision easy

The dust is beginning to settle following a jarring Week 7 loss that left the Cleveland Browns without a QB1.

It appears that Deshaun Watson will be lost for the season, barring an Aaron Rodgers-esque recovery and procedure, after he ruptured his Achilles against the Cincinnati Bengals while escaping a collapsing pocket. Watson, who has been the worst quarterback in the NFL this season, actually looked decent in the game until the second quarter, when he collapsed on the field and had to be carted into the locker room.

The Browns proceeded to deploy its two remaining options at quarterback during the game - Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston. Thompson-Robinson did not look great in relief of Watson, throwing two picks and relying solely on his legs for yardage. He did manage to lead the team down the field for a touchdown from RB Nick Chubb, but otherwise, he did not look the part.

Winston, on the other hand, showed some signs of being able to step in for Watson this season. He threw for 67 yards on one drive, securing a passing touchdown to TE David Njoku in garbage time and finishing up with a rating of 95.6. Winston just looked stable, something the Browns should be aiming for to finish out its season. Wins would be nice, but just having a fighting chance in close games with such a solid defense would be best.

But, there remains a small chance that Cleveland decides to sign a practice quarterback from around the league. This could just provide the team with extra firing power in case it has to sub out Thompson-Robinson or Winston for an injury, and it can provide some healthy competition for a seemingly open starting spot.

However, the grass is not always greener on the other turf. As of now, here is a list of practice squad QBs around the league the Browns could go after:

1. Mike White
2. Tim Boyle
3. Adrian Martinez
4. Devin Leary
5. Logan Woodside
6. Kedon Slovis
7. Jason Bean
8. John Rhys Plumlee
9. Bailey Zappe
10. Carter Bradley
11. Will Grier
12. Sam Hartman
13. Austin Reed
14. Jake Fromm
15. Sean Clifford
16. Jack Plummer
17. Michael Pratt
18. Desmond Ridder
19. Tanner Mordecai

And, that's it. A few names on here - Desmond Ridder, Jake Fromm, Bailey Zappe, Tim Boyle, Mike White - are quarterbacks with at least some live NFL experience. You can say the same for Thompson-Robinson and Winston, though. So, signing one away just to replace one of those two who are already in the building and have chemistry built with the team makes little sense if you are Cleveland. If it is for insurance, it makes sense. If not, it would be a head scratching decision.

Browns starting QB decision should be easy

If Cleveland is serious about winning, given the team just got RB Nick Chubb back and 1-6 could be 3-6 by the Week 10 bye week if it plays its cards right, then Winston seems like the quarterback to go with in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens. Winston can, at minimum, provide veteran play calling and leadership in the pocket against such a strong divisional rival like Baltimore. A win might not be in the cards, but at least the team could compete with him under center.

Thompson-Robinson probably deserves one more chance to prove he can be a reliable backup after a bad showing in Week 7. But, he is young enough to be able to still learn from Winston and get better as the backup to him, instead. However, if Cleveland is trying to tank and secure a top 3 - or even top - pick in 2025, Thompson-Robinson might get the call to be QB1 moving forward.

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