In an ideal world, a team will have the services of their starting quarterback available to them for the entire season. Unfortunately for the Cleveland Browns, things did not play out in an ideal manner last season. Cleveland was forced to test their quarterback depth behind Deshaun Watson after his season was limited to just six games, with mostly disastrous results. Looking to avoid another catastrophe, the Browns have been proactive in an attempt to not make the same mistake twice.
Cleveland has brought in Jameis Winston to be Watson’s primary backup, but that was not the only addition by the Browns. Former Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley has now agreed to a one-year deal to round out the group. Both are welcome additions to the roster and elevate the talent floor behind Watson.
The Browns knew they could not roll the dice again with last year’s group. PJ Walker is not an NFL-caliber quarterback, no matter how much people like to root for him. Walker was a complete disaster last year and proved he does not belong on the field. Dorian Thompson-Robinson could turn into something down the road, but last season he was completely overwhelmed. It was clear from the start that Thompson-Robinson was not ready to see the field. Putting DTR in as their temporary starter was a clear case of coaching and organizational malpractice. The only non-Watson quarterback to have any success was Joe Flacco, who has now moved on to Indianapolis.
These moves were made to improve their chances if Watson is unavailable. Giving the team a chance to win in the event Watson is injured again was an absolute must, considering his injury history. It appears the errors of last season have been corrected, but it will only be proven if called into action.
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