The Cleveland Browns reunited with Joe Flacco this week, which has many assuming that this guarantees the Browns will not be taking a quarterback in the NFL Draft.
And you know what? That couldn't be further from the truth.
Cleveland could absolutely still select a signal-caller later this month. As a matter of fact, it's entirely possible that its decision to sign Flacco increases the likelihood that the Browns will draft a quarterback.
The caveat is that it doesn't mean Cleveland will be nabbing Shedeur Sanders. The Browns could be planning to select a quarterback on Day 2 and allow him to learn under Flacco for a year before potentially taking the reins in 2026.
Flacco may not be the same player he was years ago, but he represents a terrific mentor for a rookie quarterback, and that could be exactly what Cleveland is planning.
While there may not be a ton of highly-regarded quarterback prospect in this upcoming class, there are definitely some intriguing options that should be available after Round 1. Jaxson Dart could still be on the board, and names like Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, Tyler Shough and Kyle McCord will be around, as well.
And heck, we still can't even rule out the possibility of the Browns landing Sanders, considering the Colorado Buffaloes superstar's draft stock is dipping. What would stop Cleveland from taking Travis Hunter at No. 2 and then trading back into the first round to snatch Sanders?
What the Flacco deal essentially tells us is that the Browns aren't planning on having a rookie start under center from Day 1. If they do take a signal-caller, they'll want to ease him into it rather than rush him into a potentially toxic situation.
So for all of the talk that we can put to bed the idea of Cleveland drafting a quarterback in a couple of weeks just because it landed Flacco, keep in mind that things are not always as they appear.
