Kevin Stefanski has backup Deshaun Watson plan in place, but it's not Jameis Winston

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has more to worry about than Jameis Winston after head coach Kevin Stefanski's latest roster move.
Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns / Jason Miller/GettyImages
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Cleveland Browns fans' reaction to Deshaun Watson running out of the tunnel for their Week 7 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals tells us everything:

The crowd at Huntington Bank Field speaks for the entire city of Cleveland. While half the stadium doesn't even care to acknowledge his existence, the rest are booing him out of the building. Notably, this is happening on the Browns' home surface -- yeesh.

Members of the Dawg Pound are ready to slam the door shut on the wildly unsuccessful Watson era. They've been collectively calling for backup quarterback Jameis Winston to usurp him and inject any life into Cleveland's offense. However, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski reportedly made a shocking adjustment to the team's positional depth chart.

Per 247Sports' Brad Stainbrook, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is now Watson's direct understudy. So, Winston has officially been relegated to third-string duties, effectively spoiling what many Browns supporters have been waiting for.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, not Jameis Winston, is Browns QB2 should Deshaun Watson get benched

Not only did the Browns promote Thompson-Robinson, but they made Winston a healthy scratch. The latter is inactive for Cleveland's divisional battle against the Bengals and is listed as the team's emergency third quarterback.

After hearing the outside noise, Stefanski took matters into his own hands, though not exactly how the Cleveland faithful anticipated. Perhaps this was his attempt to end the Watson/Winston debate. Yet, the decision is prompting more questions than answers.

Regardless, Browns fans surely would welcome Thompson-Robinson under center. While they may prefer Winston, anything is better than Watson, demonstrating how bad the situation in Cleveland is.

Nonetheless, as Stainbrook mentions in a follow-up report, the move signals the first time the Browns are legitimately considering benching Watson. Thompson-Robinson was advised to be "extra prepared heading forward," meaning we could see him take the reins sooner rather than later.

Watson's fully guaranteed $230 million contract is the only reason he's not already riding the pine. But at this point, patience is running thin in Cleveland. It may be time for the Browns to cut their losses and wave the white flag. Whether it be Thompson-Robinson or Winston, change feels necessary.

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