ESPN rips Browns' messy quarterback room with damning offseason superlative

Cleveland Browns fans are glad that the team is moving on from Deshaun Watson, but that doesn't mean the quarterback room isn't still an unmitigated disaster. The Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, signed Joe Flacco, and then drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, giving them four possible names to start Week 1 in September.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN did not hold back when it came to criticizing the organization for what their quarterback room consists of. Barnwell pointed out "that the quarterbacks aren't stylistically similar", noting that all four quarterbacks play very different styles. "It's difficult to find a throughline among these options and project what the Browns' offense will look like schematically," Barnwell wrote.

Browns just got torched by ESPN in brutal quarterback breakdown

Barnwell isn't wrong here. The Browns have managed to find four completely different quarterbacks so it'll be very interesting to see what happens this summer when they start battling it out to see who wins the starting job.

Only one signal-caller can win the starting job, and only two others will stick on the roster (at least in all likelihood). The Browns added Pickett first, but no one ever truly thought he'd be the guy. Flacco helped lead the team to the playoffs in 2023, but he is certainly not the long-term answer. Gabriel and Sanders are unknown, but that also means they offer the most upside.

Barnwell suggested that Cleveland start the quarterback who can help the run game out the most, which makes sense given the additions of Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins. Barnwell reminded readers of the Browns previously running an offense that thrived off the rushing attack and offensive line, so this isn't too crazy of a theory (even if those units have taken a hit recently).

Hopefully the Browns can find the best man for the job when the season begins, and the quarterback controversy that's become common in Cleveland will no longer be an issue for this team.