One writer believes the Cleveland Browns should consider trading Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, while also benching Colorado Buffaloes football great Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
The Cleveland Browns are entering training camp with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco appearing to be the two likeliest starting options. Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel don’t look primed to get reps for at least the first half of the season, and may not even be in line to be the primary backup in Berea.
For The Win’s Cory Woodruff believes the Browns need to trade for Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins, using whoever between Pickett or Flacco ends up losing Cleveland’s quarterback competition.
Woodruff listed Pickett by name, presumably predicting a Flacco training camp victory in the process.
“We have a feeling the Browns might find themselves in an awkward spot during training camp with their quarterback room. Neither Joe Flacco nor Kenny Pickett inspires a ton of confidence as a 17-game starter, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders feel destined to sit on the bench for a year. If Cleveland is serious about winning in 2025, swinging a trade for Cousins is the clearest path. Cousins isn't quite as potent as his best days in Minnesota, but he proved with Atlanta in 2024 that he can still be a solid starting quarterback when healthy. If the Browns come to the conclusion we think they will, Cousins and his former Minnesota offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will reunite in the Dawg Pound to compete in the AFC North. Cleveland could send one of its veteran quarterbacks (Kenny Pickett?) back to the Falcons to back up Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta could also try and get a run-stuffing defensive tackle as part of the deal as opposed to a draft pick,” Woodruff wrote.
The Sporting News’s Billy Heyen believes the Browns could’ve gotten Cousins earlier this offseason if they wanted to.
Truth be told, waiting until now has resulted in Pickett’s trade value increasing after leading in a highly publicized QB battle and Cousins’s fall, since he is squarely behind Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta with no upward mobility outside of an injury.
Trade value be damned, though. Browns GM Andrew Berry is more likely to keep all four QBs than make a bold move for Cousins at this point in the offseason.
He’s also more likely to trim the room to three than to add one of the most expensive QBs in the league to it in place of someone who’s spent the offseason studying Kevin Stefanski’s system.
Category: General Sports
