Andrew Berry has a terrible idea that would certainly make the Cleveland Browns look even more foolish for having four quarterbacks at this point in the season. Instead of cutting or possibly trading one, Berry teased the idea of the Browns bringing all four quarterbacks onto the 53-man roster for Week 1.
"I also think with the roster flexibility nowadays – especially with the elevations that you're able to have on the practice squad – there's just more flexibility in terms of how to build your 48-man game day roster, where it's maybe not as quite as restrictive in the past," Berry said, via the team's official website. "Now, that being said, when roster rules were more, let's say, draconian, there have been teams that have carried four. So, if there are four that are 53-man worthy, we think it makes the most sense for us to keep them."
This idea is absolutely insane. Yes, the Cleveland Browns have a massive hole at quarterback with two rookies, a starter-turned-backup and a 40-year-old Joe Flacco. But a decision can be made on which one(s) should make the roster. And the fact that Berry has even entertained this idea means it’s not a farfetched idea for the Browns to consider.
It’s a bad idea. For a team that has so many other positional needs, bringing four quarterbacks and omitting other players that could add depth in necessary areas is outlandish. All it does is give Cleveland reason to believe all four should play and that would be a horrible idea.
The Browns haven’t had one quarterback play every game all season since Baker Mayfield did it back in 2020. Chances are, whoever started Week 1 wasn’t going to start every game. The Browns need to make a decision. They’ve put themselves in this position and now they need to figure out how to solve it because four rostered quarterbacks on the 53-man team won’t cut it.
The Cleveland Browns know which QBs to part ways with, they just don’t want to accept it yet
The decision isn’t hard, Cleveland shouldn’t even consider bringing Kenny Pickett onto the Week 1 roster. He’s had his chance to start in the NFL and it didn’t work out. His two seasons in Pittsburgh were mediocre and they sent him to Philadelphia where he was an "okay" backup. They traded Dorian Thompson-Robinson for Pickett, if that doesn’t tell you his value, I don’t know what will.
Pickett needs to be someone else’s problem and not add more uncertainty to this quarterback room. Of all the quarterbacks on the roster, he probably has the most trade value just off the strength that he’s younger and been in the NFL long enough. He’s a guy a team would look at if they needed depth or a player gets hurt. Cleveland doesn’t have that problem.
Flacco is the better veteran to keep because, while he’s 40 years old, he’s been in this system before and thrived while also adding value as a mentor to Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who are transitioning from college football to the NFL.
You can’t convince me that Sanders and Gabriel will learn more from Pickett than Flacco. While I don’t necessarily agree with having two rookies, bringing three quarterbacks into the regular season, considering the Browns’ situation, is a lot better than four.
Pickett should be the odd man out. It would be different if nothing separated the four quarterbacks, but Pickett won’t have as much of an impact on this team like Flacco will as a veteran and the Browns will soon find that out.