Browns QB Floated as Potential Trade Bait for Broncos

Getty Images Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns talks to Dorian Thompson-Robinson during a preseason game.

The Cleveland Browns have a crowded quarterback room and could move on from Dorian Thompson-Robinson if a QB-needy team like the Denver Broncos comes calling.

Thompson-Robinson had an eventful, yet uneven rookie season with the Browns. He earned the confidence of the Cleveland brass with a strong preseason. Thompson-Robinson entered the year as the primary backup for Deshaun Watson. Things didn’t go so smoothly when his number was called. The fifth-round pick went 1-2 in his starts when Watson was sidelined, passing for 440 yards, 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions.

To be fair, Thompson-Robinson was thrown into a rough position in his first start. He saw his first regular-season action on short notice against a fierce Baltimore Ravens defense, and three of his four interceptions came in that game.

Despite his shortcomings, Thompson-Robinson might have put enough on tape to get teams interested. Jared Mueller of Dawg Pound Daily floated the idea of the Denver Broncos getting involved in a trade for DTR.

“Given the supply and demand limits among the top of the quarterback class in the 2024 NFL draft, perhaps the Broncos could find their answer at the position by dealing for Cleveland’s second-year QB,” Mueller said. “With so few assets to work with, Sean Payton being unlikely to be willing to punt on the season and the lack of quality QBs available, trading a pick for DTR makes sense.”

The Broncos parted ways with Russell Wilson this offseason. That leaves Jarrett Stidham atop the Denver depth chart. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and XFL standout Ben DiNucci is next on the chart.

Browns Investigating Quarterback Prospects

The Browns have been doing their homework on some of the quarterbacks in the draft. The most notable among those is Joe Milton, who is expected to be available in the latter rounds.

Milton is a raw passer but has elite arm strength and athleticism. He had his pro day on Wednesday, March 27, and ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at 245 pounds. Milton recently met with the Browns in Berea.

Milton passed for 2,831 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions last season at Tennessee, completing 64.7 percent of his passes. He added 299 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground.

The Browns have also met with Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson Ready for Full Season in Cleveland

The hope for the Browns is that the backup quarterback position won’t be as discussed as it was a year ago. Watson missed time on two separate occasions with shoulder injuries. The Browns started five different quarterbacks but still made the postseason.

Watson has played in just 12 games with the Browns since arriving via a blockbuster 2022 trade. He’s hoping to change that this year.

“That’s the plan, is just being able to pull out a full season,” Watson told Camryn Justice of WEWS Cleveland. “The first year we had some stuff that we had to do with the NFL, and then last year an injury popped up that I [couldn’t] really control too much. But we get one full season, and it’s gonna be special things. I really believe that, the organization believes that, and that locker room believe it, too. We’re putting together a great contender.”

Watson has recently started throwing and said he’ll be ready for Week 1.