A Packers-Browns trade to end failed Sean Clifford experiment for good

The Green Bay Packers treated their fans to one of the worst offensive performances in recent memory over the weekend. It's only the preseason, so take this with a grain of salt, but it's fair to be concerned about the Packers' offensive depth. We know what the starters are capable of, but the Packers aren't really built to withstand injuries. In football, that is a bad recipe.

One of the most glaring holes on the roster is backup quarterback. Jordan Love just signed the largest annual contract in NFL history, so the Packers aren't wanting for an everyday starter. If Love gets banged up during the season, however, the current alternatives are Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt.

Yikes.

Clifford was absolutely abysmal in Sunday's 27-2 loss to the Denver Broncos. He completed 6-of-10 passes for 43 yards and tossed an interception before turning over the reins. It was the sort of performance that would earn him a one-way ticket to free agency on most teams. In Green Bay, however, there just isn't a clearly superior alternative.

Pratt, a seventh-round pick from Tulane, has been equally untenable. He is four years younger and can therefore claim more upside, but the reality is, Green Bay does not have a backup QB option it can feel good about. The quickest way to solve that predicament is a trade.

Luckily, the Cleveland Browns have a surplus of (semi-)playable quarterbacks. According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Ceveland's front office has "discussed a potential trade" of second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The 24-year-old appeared in eight games (three starts) last season, completing 53.6 percent of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.

Packers-Browns trade for Dorian Thompson-Robinson could benefit both teams

To be frank, DTR probably won't fetch much value in a trade. Justin Fields was basically dealt for a sixth-round pick. He has years of starting experience under his belt; Thompson-Robinson appeared briefly last season and was borderline unplayable, basically forcing Cleveland to chase down 40-year-old Joe Flacco on the street.

That said... the upside with DTR is far more pronounced than with Sean Clifford, who is two years older and not half the athlete. Clifford has showcased his mobility outside the pocket this preseason, but DTR is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. He scrambled 14 times for 65 yards last season, including four first down conversions. He ran for 652 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior at UCLA.

There is at least something there. Clifford, not so much. Thompson-Robinson needs extreme patience and a strong guiding hand, but that is something the Packers can provide. Green Bay has a talented offensive core, a winning environment, and a coach with strong QB ties. Jordan Love is probably too young to be painted as a mentor, but he knows what it takes to develop behind another top-shelf QB. He has plenty of wisdom to impart on DTR.

Perhaps Thompson-Robinson is not the only solution for Green Bay — a more established vet would be ideal — but he at least changes the dynamic of the Packers' QB room. Most offenses want a carbon copy of the starting QB from their backup, but DTR provides a new edge with his scrambling ability. He can improvise outside the pocket and stress a defense in unique ways. If the Packers end up missing Love for a period of time, they might as well invest in a quarterback who can generate offense in multiple ways.

This could end up as more of a bandaid over a bullet wound than Green Bay fans would like, but they need to put something over it.