Last season, it was pretty clear early on that the Cleveland Browns had a quarterback problem and that problem needed to be addressed once the season was over. The Browns somewhat addressed the problem in free agency by trading for quarterback Kenny Pickett and followed it up with signing fan favorite Joe Flacco.
Then the NFL draft comes along, and the team decides to take two quarterbacks. Rookie Dillion Gabriel was taken in the 3rd round, while Shedeur Sanders was taken in the 5th.
Four quarterbacks, pretty crowded room.
The team will eventually have to start one of these four quarterbacks, but what will the team’s ceiling be with these quarterbacks under center?
QB Joe Flacco
Not much to say that already needs to be said. Holding onto any hope that Flacco can repeat what he did in 2023 is a fever dream, but it would be nice.
Flacco is 40 years old and, at best, is a backup quarterback for most teams. If the Browns were to start Flacco, the ceiling for the team wouldn’t be high. Flacco has clear limitations and his play is more inconsistent, similar to Jameis Winston's last year.
Could Flacco give you decent play for a few games? Maybe but beyond that is unlikely.
Last season, when Flacco played in relief for quarterback Anthony Richardson when he was with the Indianapolis Colts, the offense got arguably worse. Cleveland’s offense lacks the high-end talent needed, but Flacco will not necessarily raise the team’s ceiling if he were to start.
The team's offensive ceiling with Flacco: Low, with the possibility of being benched/cut
QB Kenny Pickett
When the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, it was a surprise to everyone. Despite the free agency quarterback class being limited, trading for someone like Pickett was one of the more head-scratching moves, given it cost a fifth-round pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
As it stands right now, Pickett could be the front-runner to be QB1 to start the season, despite the presence of Flacco. If he were to start, the offensive ceiling would be low, but it wouldn’t be in the same tier if Flacco were to start.
Pickett was a high-ceiling, low-floor coming out of college, and throughout his career, he has shown he’s more of a backup/bridge than the long-term answer. Pickett could end up being the starter, growing in his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, and string together some consistent games before being benched, unless he channels Sam Darnold’s resurgence from last year.
The team’s ceiling remains about the same with Pickett and Flacco.
The team's offensive ceiling with Pickett: Low ceiling, but could string together consistent games
QB’s Dillion Gabriel & Shedeur Sanders
Considering how these two are rookies, it’s only right to put them both together. Let’s start with Gabriel. If you look at his body of work, it’s clear why the Browns took him in the 3rd round. Granted, Gabriel has some limitations in his game, but he has the things that you need in order to run the Browns offense.
Gabriel is getting written off, but it would be unfair to do that. I’ve compared Gabriel to an alter-ego of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He has similar traits to Tagovailoa, but not necessarily going to raise a team’s offensive ceiling. Gabriel’s production during his last year at Oregon benefited from a good offense and a quality receiving corps. Those two things aren’t exactly full with his first NFL team, so it wouldn’t be a guarantee he replicates that in Cleveland if he were to be the starter.
Switching gears, let’s talk about the quarterback who was taken two rounds later.
Sanders falling to the 5th round was a surprise to many, but there is no need to revisit why he fell. Sanders is a low-ceiling, high-floor-level quarterback. He’s not someone who is going to elevate an offense, but the offense has to elevate him to some degree.
During his time in Colorado, he played with a bad offensive line that struggled in both pass and run blocking, had zero resemblance of a running game, but he had solid wide receivers and Travis Hunter, of course.
If Sanders were to start, the offensive ceiling is what needs to be figured out (similar to Gabriel). He’s talented, but he’s not someone who’s going to elevate an offense. It’s an unknown at this point, but we will get a good understanding of what he can do once he gets enough reps throughout the coming months.
The team's offensive ceiling with Sanders/Gabriel: Higher ceiling with Gabriel, higher floor with Sanders