Training Camp Previews: Cleveland Browns Quarterbacks

In just 18 days the Cleveland Browns will open up training camp at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. and the quest for building a 53-mean roster will be underway.

While there may not be a ton of starting roles to sort out leading up to the season, there will still be some important battles taking place as back of the roster players fight to earn a spot on the active roster. Believe it or not, that's actually the case for the Browns quarterback room, which is where we start with our position-by-position training camp previews.

Where Things Stand:

Let's get the obvious out of the way: Deshaun Watson is Cleveland's starter once again. That said, how Watson progresses through his rehab from shoulder surgery will be one of the biggest storylines of training camp and the preseason. At the conclusion of spring workouts, including mandatory minicamp, Watson was able to throw during 7-on-7 drills for the first time. That should evolve into 11-on-11 drills at some point next month. It'll be all eyes on Watson's workload and effectiveness leading up to Week 1.

Behind Watson sits veteran Jameis Winston, whose presence on this team seems solidified by the one-year, $4 million contract he signed this offseason. Beyond just being a reliable backup QB, the 30-year-old was brought in to be a supporting voice for Watson. Not to mention that the pandemic of injuries Cleveland experienced at the position last year should make the backup QB spot a high priority, especially if Watson struggles to stay healthy.

That leaves former Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley and 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson Robinson, who returning from a hip injury. The Browns really made sure to have a deep QB room as Watson continues his rehab in the lead-up to the season, just in case there's a setback. It's a smart move, but all four guys can't make the final roster.

Storyline To Follow:

Again, given how many injuries the Browns dealt with at the QB position last year there's a very valid argument to be made that they should try to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Doing so, however, means you can't keep as much depth somewhere else which isn't ideal.

It's hard to imagine a world where Winston isn't part of this team, unless he were to get hurt or some QB needy team comes along and offers the sun, the moon and the stars for him. That leaves Huntley and Thompson-Robinson to duke it out for a potential third spot on the roster.

Huntley is obviously the more experienced of the two, giving him an inside track to the job. That said, the organization feels really highly about DTR and view him as a potential long-term backup option for the franchise Giving up on him after one season would be uncharacteristic of this team. Don't be surprised if general manager Andrew Berry tries to pull off another end of the preseason trade involving Huntley, the same way he did with Josh Dobbs last year.

Current Depth Chart:

QB1: Deshaun Watson, QB2: Jameis Winston, QB3: Tyler Huntley, QB4: Dorian Thompson Robinson