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Quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be available in the supplemental draft for the Cleveland Browns to consider.

The Cleveland Browns have spent years searching for a long-term answer at quarterback. Brendan Sorsby could offer another swing at one, but it would not come without risk.

Sorsby is expected to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft after a turbulent offseason that included debate about his college eligibility tied to significant gambling violations. That puts the former Cincinnati and Texas Tech quarterback on the radar for teams still unsettled at the position.

The Browns fit that category. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are set to continue a heated quarterback competition into training camp, with Cleveland still searching for clarity after years of instability under center.

Sorsby would add another intriguing option to the mix. He would also add another distraction. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com warned that the Browns may not want to bring that kind of turbulence into an already complicated quarterback room.

“The Browns are also conducting a heated two-way quarterback battle between Watson and Shedeur Sanders, and might not want to fan those flames. It’s controversial enough, with Watson, a villain in the eyes of some fans, trying to resurrect his career and Sanders, enormously popular, trying to prove he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL,” Cabot said. “Adding Sorsby, 22, to the room before training camp would certainly be a distraction and could possibly rattle the young team to its core.”

Brendan Sorsby Entering Supplemental Draft After Eligibility Saga

Sorsby has legitimate NFL traits. He has size, mobility, arm strength and production. At Cincinnati last season, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound quarterback threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions while adding 580 rushing yards and 9 more scores on the ground.

The Browns are among the teams that would make sense on paper, and it would not be surprising if Cleveland monitors Sorsby closely and attends his Pro Day.

The supplemental draft is different from the regular NFL Draft. Teams submit bids by round for an eligible player. If a team wins the bid, it gives up its pick in that same round in the following year’s draft.

There is a direct connection between Sorsby and the Browns. Rookie tight end Joe Royer played with Sorsby at Cincinnati before Cleveland selected him in the fifth round. Royer caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns over two seasons with Sorsby as his quarterback.

“I firmly believe that he’s a first-round talent,” Royer said. “He’s got all of the tools that make up a successful quarterback and he’s a hell of a player. He’s big, he’s quick, he’s got the arm strength, he’s smart as well.”

Browns Already Have Heated QB Battle

The Browns are already heading into training camp without a settled starter. Watson and Sanders remain at the center of the competition, and head coach Todd Monken has made it clear the decision will play out on the field.

Watson is trying to revive his career and prove he can still be the quarterback Cleveland thought it was getting when it gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract back in 2022. Injuries and inconsistent play have defined much of his time with the Browns, leaving him with plenty to prove entering the final year of his contract.

Sanders is younger and still trying to prove he can be a long-term NFL starter. Every strong practice rep creates more buzz. But every mistake becomes part of the debate.

Adding Sorsby would turn a two-way competition into a much more complicated situation. Cleveland would have to find reps for another young quarterback while also evaluating Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote