This is real competition.
NFL training camp is just on the horizon and all eyes will be on Cleveland as a true quarterback competition gets under way.
Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel will all battle it out for a chance to become the Browns starter in September.
With a battle like this only typically seen in college football, and rarely in the NFL, Browns fans and NFL fans alike are intrigued to watch how it will play out.
Uncommon ground
Quarterback battles in the NFL do not occur as much as the media makes it out.
Most teams know who their starter is. Any competition is usually between second- and third-string guys battling for the backup role.
Any competition for the starting role is usually manufactured and only includes two guys.
Even when a competition exists, there is usually plenty of caveats preventing it from being a true competition – such as draft position or contractual obligations.
An NFL General Manager does not want an undrafted free agent beating out their first round pick. Optics matter in the NFL.
Therefore, the prospect of four quarterbacks having an equal chance to become the starter is rare in the NFL. It is one which NFL fans should be excited to see unfold.
An equal opportunity
Without the caveats in place that usually prevent a true quarterback competition, the Browns will have the chance to showcase all four players and give them an equal chance to earn the job.
Flacco is a 40-year-old making backup money. Pickett is a former first round ‘bust’ who is still on his rookie contract. And Sanders and Gabriel are 3rd and 5th round rookies. There is no king of the jungle in that quarterback room.
The Browns will operate under an established hierarchy to begin training camp, but will allow all four quarterbacks to climb up and down the depth chart based purely on their performances.
They will not only be competing for the starting job, but for their place on the team.
While there is a possibility the Browns carry all four on their 53-man roster, three is more likely. With the Browns having no financial obligation to keep any of these guys on the roster, it truly is a college style competition rarely seen in the NFL.
May the best man win
Operating under the assumption the Browns only carry three quarterbacks on the roster, that means someone is going to be the odd man out.
With how the Browns roster is currently constructed, and influenced by the burden of Deshaun Watson’s contract, the Browns have to get cheap at the most important position in sports.
This is good news for Sanders and Gabriel. As 3rd and 5th round picks, they do not need to win the starting job to make the roster.
They are cheap as starters or as backups. Therefore, you should expect both players to make the roster barring injury or off-the-field issues.
That leaves us with Flacco and Pickett. They are the favourites to win the starting job yet still the most likely to not make the roster. Confusing? I know.
Both players provide NFL experience and a safer bet as the Week 1 starter. Whoever performs best at training camp will most likely win the job.
However, whichever player loses the job will be the most likely to be cut or traded, given that they are more expensive and provide no long-term benefit compared to the rookies.
Whatever the result, Browns fans should be excited to see a true quarterback competition. May the best man win!
