DTR Breaks Silence on Browns Adding New QBs Winston, Huntley

The Cleveland Browns quarterback room looks a lot different than it did last year, including two meaningful changes behind starter Deshaun Watson and potentially ahead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Cleveland added former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston as well as ex-Baltimore Ravens starter Tyler Huntley to the roster, both of whom have more NFL experience and success than the second-year player out of UCLA selected in the fifth-round in 2022.

Thompson-Robinson lost his starting spot to Joe Flacco following a concussion he suffered against the Denver Broncos in late November. His rookie season unofficially ended approximately one month later following a hip injury on Christmas Eve in a victory over the Houston Texans.

He will now face an uphill battle to get back onto the field as he not only continues to rehabilitate his hip, but must contend with three current and/or former starting QBs with five Pro Bowls between them. Despite those facts, however, Thompson-Robinson had nothing but glowing comments on Winston and Huntley in an interview with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that published on Saturday, May 4.

Have I gotten to know Jameis? I think Jameis has gotten to know everybody. He’s super great. I love Jameis and Tyler. Two really good additions to the room and two guys that have really helped me in my development. That process of learning how to be a pro quarterback at the highest level, I think it’ll be a big part of that.

That’s one thing I love. He’s not like gatekeeping or trying to withhold information. He’s letting me know and he’s giving me all the tools I need to be the best quarterback I can be.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson Looking to New QBs in Cleveland for Lessons in Leadership

Thompson-Robinson also elaborated on Huntley and his relationship with the former AFC North Division rival QB.

“Another personality, another perspective coming from another team that has done so many great things in the past and coming from an AFC championship,” Thompson-Robinson told Cabot. “He knows what it takes. He knows the work that goes into it. He’s expressed that leadership and we’ve had those conversations.”

Flacco is no longer on the Browns roster after he took a job with the Indianapolis Colts and will presumably start the 2024 campaign as the backup to second-year QB Anthony Richardson. The return of PJ Walker to Cleveland next season also reads as unlikely, even despite the fact that he appeared in six games for the Browns last season and started two of those.

Deshaun Watson Will Start Season as Browns QB1 if Healthy

Watson will start the upcoming campaign under center if he returns to full health after season-ending surgery last November.

The QB is entering the third year of his five-year $230 million contract and has missed 11 games in each of the last two seasons, the first due to a suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s conduct policy and the second because of various injuries. When he has been on the field, Watson has struggled, completing just 59.8% of his passes for 2,217 yards, 14 TDs and 9 INTs.

Cleveland is 8-4 in Watson’s 12 starts, though the team’s No. 1 ranked defense in 2023 played a significant role in his 5-1 record last season. The Browns have not indicated that they intend to replace Watson if his play doesn’t improve, and the front office is invested in Watson’s success after fully guaranteeing his deal two offseasons past.

That said, Cleveland was a playoff team last year and if Watson proves a liability for any length of time, another QB on the roster could get a shot. It appears now, however, that Thompson-Robinson will be further down the list than he was during his rookie campaign, which he began as Watson’s backup before seeing his first real action against the Ravens in early October.

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This article was originally published on Heavy.com

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