The Cleveland Browns surprised some folks recently by signing veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to a one-year deal to reunite with the man who was plucked out of semi-retirement to lead the Browns to an improbable playoff berth in 2023.
Flacco’s signing not only causes some confusion as to what the Browns are going to do in the upcoming draft, but it undoubtedly impacts fellow newcomer Kenny Pickett’s role on the team, and one insider recently revealed exactly how that could unfold.
In a recent article for Cleveland.com, Mary Kay Cabot shared that Flacco’s signing doesn’t change too much for Pickett and that he’ll still have every chance to compete for the starting job.
“As for Pickett, Flacco’s acquisition doesn’t change his marching orders. He still has a chance to win the starting job, and the Browns are still excited about him, as they stated at the NFL Annual Meeting two weeks ago. The Browns are confident that Pickett will flourish in Stefanski’s offense, with his mobility, and excellent processing speed,” Cabot said.
It’s nice to hear that the Browns still have plenty of confidence in Pickett and envision him as a potential starter, and it will be interesting to see if he can put it all together and become the league’s next QB reclamation project a la Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, or Sam Darnold.
Pickett spent last season backing up Jalen Hurts for the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles after two underwhelming years as the starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers to begin his career, and while he wasn’t the first choice for Browns fans to solve the QB dilemma this offseason, he’s a low-risk, high-upside play that will add value to the QB room in some capacity.
The big question will come during the draft, as the Browns are almost certain to use at least one of their ten picks on a young quarterback.
The question is, how high will that quarterback be selected?
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