The Cleveland Browns have arguably the most high-profile quarterback battle in the NFL during training camp, with four plausible starters battling it out. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are the veterans in the room, and Cleveland drafted Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
There has been a huge microscope on the battle so far, with the veterans getting the bulk of the first-team reps in camp. Pickett has been dealing with a hamstring injury lately, opening up some action for the rookies to show what they've got.
Flacco, the only one of the four who has been with the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski before, may have the early advantage in the competition due to that familiarity according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
“The Browns' familiarity with Joe Flacco frees up the team to evaluate the other quarterbacks more closely early in camp,” Fowler reported. “As one team source put it, there's “less sensitivity” to Flacco's play because they know exactly what he can do. This could eventually give him the leg up in the process.”
Pickett has also been impressive at camp, according to Fowler, but the hamstring injury is certainly somewhat of a setback. However, he has experience in the league as a starter and the Browns traded for him this offseason, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see if he gets a shot.
The rookies have both received good reviews from the staff in camp and have been cited as hard-working and coachable, but Sanders has certainly outperformed Gabriel when it comes to the training camp stats that have come out so far. Still, Gabriel is a good fit in Stefanski's offense and that appeal could earn him a shot.
“Play-action is a big component in this offense, and that's where Dillon Gabriel excels,” Fowler wrote. “The ballhandling, the fakes and the mobility are plusses for him.”
No matter who starts the season as the starter, it would be a surprise if most or all of these quarterbacks don't get a shot at some point this season. The Browns need a lift on offense, and Stefanski and his staff will likely have to shuffle through the options to figure out who gives them the best chance at achieving that.
