The Cleveland Browns adopted a strategy this offseason of acquiring as many quarterbacks as reasonably possible and letting them battle it out in training camp.
But that means that the team is likely to move on from at least one of those signal callers before Week 1, which could mean a decent trade package in return.
Neither third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel or fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders is likely to end up that guy, as essentially every team in the league could have had either one with a Day-1 or Day-2 pick. Cleveland will know vastly more about both Gabriel and Sanders once training camp is through, as neither has any NFL tape. Furthermore, both have upside potential and are on exceedingly reasonable contracts over the next four seasons.
Deshaun Watson is rehabilitating a twice-injured Achilles tendon and has two fully-guaranteed years remaining on his $230 million contract, which renders him essentially untradable, so he isn’t likely going anywhere either.
That leaves Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett as the most viable trade assets for the Browns, and they could have a market considering teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints don’t necessarily have viable starting options on their depth charts as of mid-May.
Flacco has a recent history in Cleveland, leading the team to the playoffs in 2023. As such, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report identified Pickett as one of the top QB trade targets in the league this offseason.
“Head coach Kevin Stefanski may prefer to start a veteran signal-caller who knows his offense and then insert one of the rookies if the season goes off the rails,” Moton wrote on Tuesday, May 13. “In that scenario, Pickett would be the odd man out.”
Kenny Pickett Could Have Legitimate Trade Value This Summer
GettyFormer Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett.
It is highly unlikely that Pittsburgh would be interested in dealing for Pickett after the team selected him in the first round (No. 20 overall) of the 2022 draft and dealt him to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of last season.
The Saints, however, may want to add a veteran QB after Derek Carr chose to retire following an 11-year career. New Orleans drafted Tyler Shough out of Louisville in the second round last month and has Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener on the depth chart along with Shough currently.
The franchise may move to reset in 2025, but Pickett is on the final year of his rookie contract and will make just $2.6 million this season. The Browns traded Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for Pickett before deciding to take both Gabriel and Sanders in the draft, so a Day-3 selection would probably be enough for Cleveland to agree to a trade if Pickett doesn’t have a natural place on the regular-season roster.
Joe Flacco Most Logical Starter for Browns in Week 1
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
Flacco is the most likely starter for Cleveland in Week 1 given his overall experience, his history with the Browns and his connection to the fan base.
That said, the Browns won’t necessarily contend in 2025. Stranger things have happened, of course, but the team’s top priority is probably to prove competent on the field and develop its young players.
As such, Sanders or Gabriel could end up taking over at some point during their rookie campaigns. But Flacco appears to be the player who gives Cleveland the best chance to win early in the season.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Browns Quarterback Dubbed Top Trade Target of Offseason appeared first on Heavy Sports.