Ranking The Cleveland Browns Position Groups: Quarterbacks
In this multi-part series, we will look deeper at each position group on the Cleveland Browns roster. Today we will be covering the quarterbacks.
The 2022 Cleveland Browns have been all about the quarterback position. It started in January, wondering if Baker Mayfield would be the Cleveland Browns’ starter for the 2022 season. Well, the Cleveland Browns were done with Mayfield, and they went after and traded for Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson has been the talk of the entire NFL offseason going back to him being traded and then waiting for a suspension due to sexual assault allegations. It came down last week that Watson will be suspended for the first 11 games of the season, and he will be able to return for the last six games.
Since Watson will be suspended for 11 games, the Cleveland Browns will need an option, and that’s where backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett comes in. The talk around the Cleveland Browns has been about Brissett or Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s currently still on the 49ers roster being the signal caller for a suspended Watson. It looks clear now that the Browns will not be going after Garoppolo, and Brissett will be the starting quarterback for those 11 games.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback room comes in as the fourth worst position group in my rankings for the 2022 season, and it only has to do with Watson being suspended for more than half of the year.
Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, so if he played the entire or most of the season, this position group might be the best on the team, but since he is out, we must operate that this is Brissett’s team.
Jacoby Brissett
Brissett was drafted 91st overall in the 2016 draft by the New England Patriots, and he saw action right away in his rookie year. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games due to deflate-gate, and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt in the year’s second game. Brissett was thrown into action and ended up starting the next two games and going one and one in those contests.
In the 2017 season, Brissett opened his preseason from being the third quarterback on the Patriots roster to being in line as the first quarterback on the Colts roster by September. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck got hurt in the preseason of the 2017 season, and the Colts went out and traded for Brissett. Luck would end up missing the entire season, and Brissett would start 15 games but only win four of them.
Brissett had to step in again in the 2019 season. Luck ended up announcing his retirement towards the end of the preseason, and Brissett was the next person in line to start. Brissett had a little better record this time, going seven and eight.
In the 2021 season, Brissett took his talents to south beach and joined the Miami Dolphins. He ended up starting five games for them and going two and three.
Brissett has tons of experience as a backup quarterback, if you couldn’t tell. I don’t think he will have any issue with knowing what to do on Sundays this fall, but again Brissett is only a backup quarterback, so his talent level isn’t going to be anything to be excited about.
The truth about the 2022 Cleveland Browns is the season falls into Brissett’s hands. The most critical position in the sport is the quarterback, so all the pressure is on Brissett, and if he can’t get it done, it will be a long 11 games.
Joshua Dobbs
This year, Joshua Dobbs has been putting on a show in the Brown’s first two preseason games. He has been exciting to watch, and even though it’s not against great competition, he still looks like he can handle that backup quarterback position behind Brissett.
#Browns QB Joshua Dobbs avoids the pressure, loses part of his jersey, scrambles away, tightropes the sideline, and someway somehow almost scores a touchdown. This is crazy.pic.twitter.com/7tv1g2e7N8 — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 21, 2022
I think many fans and even myself were worried that if something were to happen to Brissett, who would be able to fill in for him? Now I have the confidence that it can be Dobbs.
Of course, he won’t be able to do what he is doing in the preseason against actual first-stringers and coaches preparing, but he does look like he could give the team a boost here and there in spots if needed.
If Dobbs is needed for a while, Cleveland Browns fans should look forward to the high second-round pick they will be getting in the 2023 draft because the season will be a disaster.
The Cleveland Browns also have Josh Rosen on their roster, but he looks like he will be a roster cut next week and may be signed to the practice squad.
Outlook For The Season
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback outlook isn’t a great one for the season. Brissett doesn’t have the talent to match up with guys he will be facing, like Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. Still, he has a loaded roster around him, so if he can manage the game, he will do his part, and it’s up to the rest of the players to do theirs.
Everyone will be counting down the days to see Watson run onto the field in Houston, and hopefully, the Browns are still in the hunt for a playoff spot at that point.
We’re hiring multiple contributing writers for the 2022 season! Please apply here!
Want more Browns content? Check out the site here for more on the Browns, and follow our network Twitter @StadiumRantHQ for more sports content.