The Cleveland Browns may not know who their starting quarterback will be next season but they do have too many signal callers on their current roster. The New Orleans Saints could be the perfect team to help the Browns alleviate their overcrowding. Making a move for Joe Flacco could do wonders to help the Saints' options at the game's most important position.
The Browns presumably signed Flacco to be their starter but the organization's plans may have changed in the draft. Cleveland selected former Oregon standout Dillon Gabriel in the third round before circling back to end Shedeur Sanders' high-profile slide in Round 5. The pair of rookies join the aforementioned Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson to form a five-man quarterback room in Cleveland.
The Saints are not blessed with so many options. Derek Carr's sudden retirement due to a shoulder injury left New Orleans' front office scrambling to find a new quarterback in the draft. They elected to roll the dice on former Louisville star Tyler Shough in Round 2. At the moment, he projects to battle with second-year pro Spencer Rattler in training camp to be the team's starter in 2025.
Saints could add a veteran presence in Joe Flacco to their QB room
New Orleans would be wise to add a more established veteran to the mix. That's why making a trade with the Browns to bring Flacco to the Big Easy makes so much sense. He's the perfect veteran to add experience to their quarterback room without being any sort of threat to Shough's status as the team's signal caller of the future.
The Browns cannot reasonably walk into Week 1 with five quarterbacks so they need to trade someone. Getting anything of value in exchange for Flacco should be a win for Cleveland's front office. Getting a guaranteed seventh rounder with one round of upside should be all the Saints are willing to pay.
That would allow Cleveland to head into training camp with a three-headed competition at quarterback. Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders can duel it out during the preseason. Watson should not be a factor as he continues to rehab from injury.
The Saints could also hold a three-man competition with Flacco in the mix. He would give the team a higher floor than either Rattler or Shough can provide. That's a crucial consideration for a team that fancies themselves as contenders for the NFC South crown.
Interestingly, the Saints would make this trade hoping for Flacco to fail in his bid to win the starting job. The best case scenario for New Orleans is for Shough to show he's got the goods to win the job right away. At most, Flacco should be acquired with the idea that he can keep the seat warm for the high-profile rookie.
This is not the sort of trade that will shift the balance of power in the NFL but it's a deal that makes good sense for both sides. Saints fans should keep an eye on Flacco over the coming weeks.