The Cleveland Browns have been unstable at the quarterback position for a while, but selecting both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel might make things even more difficult, as taking two QBs has done little to ease the tension.
Of course, the Dawg Pound is not alone with their worries. Plenty of analysts and former players like Brian Baldinger have also voiced their confusion.
Former Linesman Gives His Take on Browns’ ‘Mystifying’ QB Strategy
Speaking on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, Baldinger was asked, “And if you know what the Browns’ plan is at quarterback, could you please help us out because we’re all taking stabs here?” The former lineman did not mince words, simply starting with “I don’t know what the plan is.”
He continued, “I don’t know why you would draft a QB with the 94th pick and then draft another one with the last name Sanders 50 picks later.” Baldinger added plainly, “I don’t know why you would do that, so I don’t know what the plan is.”
"I don't know what the plan is. I don't know why you would draft a QB with the 94th pick and then draft another one with the last name Sanders 50 picks later. It's really kind of mystifying"
📞@BaldyNFL w/ @KenCarman & @SportsBoyTony on #Browns
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— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan)
Speaking on the Browns’ 94th overall selection, Gabriel, Baldinger said, “Dillon Gabriel is an accomplished quarterback.” He went on to discuss Gabriel’s size, saying that he looked a little “too small” to him. However, he added that the rookie has played at least 66 games in college and called him “A good player.”
Nevertheless, the Browns also selected Shedeur Sanders with the 144th pick, and Baldinger’s analysis of the issue here is clear as day. “It’s hard enough to develop a rookie quarterback as it is, and then to draft two of them so close together, it’s really kind of mystifying.”
Attempting to make sense of the Browns’ strategy, Baldinger added, “I just know that if you want to try and actively figure out if it’s Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, your number two or number three, whatever quarterback it is, it’s a hard thing to do.” The analyst continued, “There’s only so many reps. There’s only so many plays.”
Baldinger brought up how San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had stated in the past that he had thought Brock Purdy was a better quarterback than Trey Lance, and we all know how that competition ended.
To that point, Baldinger remained a bit perplexed, as most Browns fans likely are as well. The clip finishes with, “I don’t know how they’re going to make this evaluation… I don’t know how you come up with a plan to figure out who’s your best quarterback, who’s your backup quarterback in this scenario right now.”
