The Browns are running out of excuses. After years of misfires and another disappointing campaign in 2024, this season enters with the margin for error being razor-thin. The roster has shown flashes in camp, but questions still linger, and one final move before Week 1 could reshape the depth chart and Shedeur Sanders’ path in the NFL.
Are the Browns Ready To Clear Space in Their QB Room?
ClutchPoints’ Enzo Flojo suggested the Browns pull off one more move before the rosters are finalized. “This is the kind of low-risk, high-reward move the Browns need to make,” Flojo wrote. “They do not really need to add talent, but to restore clarity. Pickett’s presence has become redundant in a quarterback room overflowing with uncertainty.”
Flojo predicts the Browns could send Kenny Pickett to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a late 2026 draft pick. On paper, it doesn’t sound like much. But for a Browns team still sorting out its quarterback depth, the impact could be bigger than the return.
That’s not hard to see. In March, the Browns spent a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to acquire Kenny Pickett. The idea was simple at the time: give him a chance to compete.
Kevin Stefanski even admitted there were hopes inside the building that Pickett would push for the starting role. But those plans never got off the ground after a hamstring injury in late July. Joe Flacco is locked in as the Week 1 starter, and Pickett has slid down the depth chart.
The irony is that Pickett still owns a respectable 15-10 career record as a starter. Yet right now, he’s in danger of not even making the 53-man roster.
Why It Matters for Shedeur Sanders?
For Sanders, this isn’t just about who stays and who goes. Fourth-string quarterbacks usually don’t get meaningful practice reps; development is almost impossible without those. If Pickett is moved, it opens up space for Sanders to get real time in the system, more throws in practice, more exposure in film sessions, and a better chance of building chemistry with the roster around him.
The Browns drafted Sanders in the fifth round with an eye on the future, not the present. But the present still matters. Finishing eighth in Heisman voting in 2024 or not, it’s nearly impossible to grow into an NFL starter if you’re buried on the depth chart and watching from the sidelines.
How the Trade Could Shape the Browns’ Future?
Flojo’s point makes sense from another team’s perspective: “For the cost of a late-round pick, Minnesota would be buying stability at the most important position.” That’s a bargain for any franchise that is still figuring out its quarterback room.
But the bigger effect might come in the Browns. Moving Pickett won’t just recoup a late-round pick. It would streamline a crowded depth chart and give Sanders a clear lane to reps that could speed up his NFL transition.
The Browns can’t waste time this year. Flacco is a short-term answer. Dillon Gabriel is a developmental swing. And Sanders could be the future. If the Browns decides to move on from Pickett, it’s not only about roster management; it’s about giving their rookie a fighting chance to prove he belongs.
