The Cleveland Browns opened a new, controversial chapter in the club’s history just over a year ago, and that phase continues into 2023. After struggling to find a long-term solution under center since the franchise’s resurrection in 1999, the Browns paid a hefty price for Deshaun Watson, the one-time starter for the Houston Texans who became the center of a lengthy legal debacle stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct.
While Watson remains a divisive figure, the Browns don’t current have to worry about his availability for the upcoming season. That marks a considerable change from 2022 when Watson’s suspension and appeal dominated the offseason discourse.
Browns starting quarterback: Deshaun Watson
Putting Watson’s off-the-field matters aside for the moment, he just went through his first full offseason with the Browns and has enjoyed more opportunities to gain comfort within head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense as a result. Meanwhile, the team’s top three targets from 2022 — Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Njoku — all return. Their presence should help Watson avoid some of the pitfalls that rendered his first season in Cleveland a dud.
Of course, some of Watson’s on-field issues stem from his time away from the football field. The quarterback sat out the entire 2021 season as part of a protracted standoff with the Texans and didn’t return to regular-season action until this past December. Presumably, he has shaken most of the rust off at this point.
Who is Deshaun Watson’s backup on the Browns’ QB depth chart?
After letting Jacoby Brissett walk in free agency, the Browns will enter 2023 with journeyman Joshua Dobbs as the No. 2 quarterback. Dobbs has already spent time with five teams in his NFL career, including an earlier stint with Cleveland. How much he offers at this level remains unclear as Dobbs has only attempted 85 career passes thus far in his career.
Because of that, the Browns could realistically pivot to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the primary backup should Dobbs falter. Thompson-Robinson came on strong late in his career at UCLA and possesses high-end physical traits for a quarterback.
