Browns reportedly engaging in trade talks involving backup quarterback

The Cleveland Browns are poised to head into the 2024 NFL regular season with a lot of question marks on the team. Can quarterback Deshaun Watson have a bounce-back season? Will running back Nick Chubb be fully recovered from his knee injury? How much will injuries along the offensive line and in the defensive backfield factor into the team’s early-season success or failure?

A possible solution to that last question could come in the form of a trade. According to Zac Jackson, Cleveland Browns beat reporter for The Athletic , the team has engaged in trade talks with multiple teams involving quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson . “DTR” is currently in a training camp battle with former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley for the team’s #3 quarterback spot.

Cleveland signed Huntley to a one-year deal in the offseason, making Thompson-Robinson potentially expendable. Thompson-Robinson played in a handful of games for the Browns last season in part of their quarterback carousel that eventually led to another former Raven, Joe Flacco, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Thompson-Robinson didn’t play particularly well during his time as a Browns starter, throwing for 440 yards and just one touchdown to four interceptions, while completing well under 60% of his passes during his three starts. If there is one positive to his performance last season, it’s that Thompson-Robinson seemed to settle down and into the role a bit after three of his four interceptions came in his first career start.

Jackson mentions that the Browns could be floating Thompson-Robinson out as trade bait in an effort to acquire an offensive lineman. Both Browns’ starting tackles, Jedrick Wills, Jr. and Jack Conklin , are currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and have not been practicing. Jackson also mentions injuries in the defensive backfield leaving “playing-time plans for the final preseason game in limbo.”

It’s unclear how many teams the Browns have been in contact with, who those teams are, and if the Browns are close to any deals involving the backup quarterback. With the team unlikely to keep four quarterbacks going into 2024, any return they can get back for the young quarterback would likely be seen as a net gain.