-
Daniel Oyefusi, ESPN
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns held a competition for the No. 3 quarterback spot in training camp but ultimately kept all four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster announced Tuesday.
Cleveland, though, has held trade talks regarding its backups and the situation remains fluid, a source told ESPN.
Tyler Huntley and Dorian Thompson-Robinson were both in the running to be a backup, alongside Jameis Winston, behind starter Deshaun Watson.
When asked what went into the decision to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, head coach Kevin Stefanski said, “We have four good quarterbacks.” Stefanski did not commit to having all four quarterbacks when the Browns open the season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8, saying, “We’ll see.”
Stefanski also did not commit to Winston, who was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, being the primary backup to Watson.
“We’re not setting the depth chart with any position,” Stefanski said.
The Browns signed Huntley, a former Baltimore Ravens backup, to a one-year deal in the offseason. He threw three touchdown passes in the team’s preseason finale. Thompson-Robinson, a 2023 fifth-round pick who started three games as a rookie before a season-ending hip injury, also threw a touchdown pass in the finale.
With the Browns releasing running back D’Onta Foreman and keeping just two running backs on the initial 53-man roster, more roster shuffling is expected in the coming days. Foreman, a vested veteran who does not have to clear waivers before re-signing, is expected to return to the Browns.
“It’s the first 53. It’s not the final 53,” Stefanski said. “So, I’m sure there are moves to be made down the line here. … Sometimes, it does come down to a numbers game.”