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Browns get clear update on QB search.
The Cleveland Browns will take some time to announce a starting quarterback.
The Browns have Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel all under contract for next season. However, although Gabriel and Sanders both started games last season, it appears Gabriel is out of the picture.
Browns insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes it will come down to either Watson or Sanders as the starting quarterback.
“Berry and team owner Jimmy Haslam stressed that Monken will make the call on the starting quarterback,” Jackson wrote. “A year after Haslam accurately called the team’s 2022 megatrade for Watson “a swing and a miss,” the team owner said Watson is getting a “fresh start” and has a “great chance” to revive his career.
“Citing other examples of quarterbacks who have been dismissed at various points and later revived their careers, Haslam said he’s “cautiously optimistic” that Watson can perform well if called upon.”
Monken has praised both Sanders and Watson, which is why the two appear to be the front-runners to land the job. However, Monken will take his time evaluating the quarterback position, but the hope is that he’d like to have a starter by the early part of training camp, which begins in late July.
“I’m not ready to say that yet,” Monken said. “I just said the reps can’t be divided up evenly. There’s no chance — at least on a daily basis.”
Monken Praises Sanders
Sanders ended the year as the Browns’ starting quarterback, and he showed flashes of being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
During the coaches’ meetings, Monken revealed Sanders has been in the building working, while Gabriel hasn’t.
“It’s too early to really evaluate (Sanders) other than it’s been great that he’s been in the building,” Monken said. “It’s refreshing to see a player that recognizes where he’s at and where he wants to get to.”
Monken, meanwhile, knows Watson can be an elite quarterback, but he isn’t sure what his status is. However, Monken said he’s eager to get to see Watson return from injury and, if he can rediscover his form.
“I really haven’t looked at much film from the past of Deshaun,” Monken said. “I know he’s going to be part of the roster, and I know he’s played at an elite level in the past, and we’re excited to get to work with him. I know he’s excited about getting back here and getting to work.”
Browns Having Open QB Competition
Cleveland has been searching for a franchise quarterback for years, and that will continue here.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said everyone will get their chances and deserve an opportunity.
“Nobody has touched the grass, nobody has really worked with our coaching staff, (so) I wouldn’t handicap it for anyone,” Berry said. “I think everyone in that room deserves opportunity. And so we’ll certainly know a lot more as we get to the spring. We’ll know even more as we get to training camp. But I think, honestly, we wouldn’t be doing the right thing for the team. We wouldn’t be doing the right thing for that position if we didn’t go in with it eyes wide open.”
Cleveland could also draft a quarterback to add another wrinkle to the quarterback room.