Brissett Trade Could Boost Browns’ Quarterback Market

The Ravens acquired veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from Arizona on November 4 as injuries sidelined Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. The deal adds a veteran option for Baltimore and could make other available quarterbacks more attractive to teams seeking depth before the trade deadline.

Cleveland has four quarterbacks on its roster: Deshaun Watson, second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and rookie Dillon Gabriel. That depth could put the Browns on the radar of teams looking for another quarterback.

Watson entered concussion protocol, leaving Sanders projected to start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. It would be Watson’s first absence this season. Sanders’ performance could give interested teams a chance to assess him, though the report describes him as unlikely to become Cleveland’s long-term starter.

Gabriel and fellow young quarterback Dillon Gabriel? No; Cleveland’s fourth quarterback is rookie Dillon Gabriel, while the other young player is second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders and another second-year quarterback is listed as Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The report says younger, less experienced passers could appeal to teams that believe they can develop them to fit a particular system.

The Brissett deal may have raised quarterback trade values by about one draft-pick round, the report estimates. It gives the example of Gabriel potentially moving from a fifth-round valuation to a fourth-round one, as injuries around the league increase demand for replacement quarterbacks. Cleveland’s roster could therefore give it leverage as the deadline nears.