From 2024 to 2025, the Cleveland Browns have completely dismantled the quarterback room, which shouldn’t be surprising after how the offense performed last year. It started in January when it was announced that Deshaun Watson had re-injured his Achilles and would miss the 2025 season.
The ride continued in mid-March when the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett and, in exchange, moved on from Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Berry’s fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Pickett has not had true NFL success after a stint with the Steelers and Eagles, so fans were underwhelmed by the move. Then, in mid-April, it was announced that Joe Flacco would be returning after a successful run in the 2023 season with the team.
The biggest shock of the offseason was when the Browns ended up with two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft just weeks after bringing back Flacco. Dillon Gabriel of Oregon was pick No. 94 in round three, and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado was pick No. 144 in round five.
You now have a veteran who is clearly outside his prime window in Flacco, and three young players who have had zero success at the NFL level on your depth chart for camp. With that you can expect a lot of playing time for Gabriel and Sanders in the preseason, and a chance that the Browns carry four quarterbacks this season.
With Flacco on a one-year deal with real experience, it makes no sense to let him go unless there is an injury. Pickett would be the most likely to get traded for a second time in 2025, but that would be egg on Berry’s face after exchanging a pick and player for him in March. If a team faces injury during camp at the position, Pickett makes sense to move again.
At this point, Berry can’t afford to trade Gabriel or Sanders, no matter what he was able to get in return for them. This organization has been quarterback deprived since 1999, and trading a guy that has yet to see the field would be a suicide mission.
Get Flacco the reps he needs to be ready to give this team a chance to win games, and then give everything else to the young guys and let the competition create separation of who may be ready to be an NFL quarterback.
