Joe Flacco first up in Browns QB rotation during 2nd camp practice, GM Andrew Berry open to keeping 4-man room

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3 days ago

The Cleveland Browns entered training camp with four quarterbacks. That's the way they might enter the regular season, too.
General manager Andrew Berry was asked Thursday if he thinks there's a pathway to having four quarterbacks on his opening-day roster.
"I do," Berry said before ultimately elaborating.
"We've largely looked at the last five spots of a roster as more developmental spots, and that can come from any position," the sixth-year Browns GM continued. "I also think with the roster flexibility nowadays, especially with the elevations that you're able to have on the practice squad, there's just more flexibility in terms of how to build your 48-man game-day roster, where it's maybe not quite as restrictive in the past. Now, that being said, when roster rules were more draconian, there have been teams that have carried four. So if there are four that are 53-man-worthy, and we think it makes the most sense for us to keep them, we will."
The foursome — made up of veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco as well as rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — was back in action for the second day of training camp practice.
The 40-year-old Flacco and 27-year-old Pickett continued to split first-team reps, as they did Wednesday, but Flacco led the rotation Thursday. Meanwhile, Pickett threw an interception and fumbled a snap.
Thursday's change in quarterback rotation was hinted at by head coach Kevin Stefanski Wednesday. He told reporters not to read into the order this early in camp. It's Week 1 of camp, so things are fluid, but quarterback play is undoubtedly always under the microscope.
Here's how they performed in team drills, per ESPN Cleveland:
Flacco: 4 for 10, 0 TDs, 0 INTsSanders: 4 for 4, 0 TDs, 0 INTsPickett: 9 for 11, 0 TDs, 1 INTGabriel: 6 for 8, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
Flacco leads quarterback rotation, takes all first-team reps to start 11-on-11 like Pickett did during first practice
Although he understood the logic, Flacco didn't love when he had to take a backseat during minicamp while the other three significantly younger and less-experienced quarterbacks stacked reps.
Flacco was front and center Thursday, though.
The one-time Super Bowl champion and now-seasoned-journeyman took all of the Browns' first-team reps to start 11-on-11 action, a day removed from not receiving a single snap in the drill.
Here's how it went down, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi:
Flacco completed 1-of-3 passes, his lone connection being a short pass to running back Pierre Strong Jr. A pressure from star defensive end Myles Garrett induced one of those incompletions, whereas the other one was an overthrown pass intended for wide receiver Jamari Thrash. After each of those misfires came a handoff, the first to Strong and the next to rookie Dylan Sampson.
Pickett ran the second-team offense in 11-on-11. He mishandled his second snap before bouncing back with completions on the next two plays, notably hitting rookie wideout Cade McDonald on a play-action boot.
Gabriel was with the twos and threes, and the 5-foot-11 quarterback's final pass found tight end Sal Cannella.
Sanders, who ran the third-team offense in 11-on-11 Wednesday, didn't take any 11-on-11 reps Thursday.
Browns split fields for 7-on-7 work, with Sanders-Gabriel on one and Pickett-Flacco on the other
Split-field work is nothing new for the Browns, who ran "two-spot" practices with simultaneous fields during the offseason. That practice method afforded Cleveland the opportunity to divide the veterans and rookies and allow them to focus on different aspects of the position and the team's offense.
Thursday's practice saw a similar partition come about in 7-on-7 drills.
Pickett and Flacco were on one field with first-teamers, according to Cleveland.com's Ashley Bastock, and Sanders and Gabriel were on the other field, taking four reps each.
Sanders completed all of his attempts, four short passes, per Oyefusi, who also noted that the only thing preventing Gabriel from mirroring that 7-on-7 stat line was a dropped pass.
The highlight of the day was made by the defense, against Pickett. The former Pittsburgh Steelers starter and Philadelphia Eagles backup was picked off by safety Grant Delpit on a play-action pass.
In 11-on-11 red zone period, Flacco watches as Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders work with first, second and third-team offenses
Flacco didn't take any snaps during the Browns' 11-on-11 red zone period. Pickett rolled with the ones, Gabriel followed with the twos and Sanders capped wrapped things up with the threes.
Here's how it went down, according to Oyefusi:
Despite hitting wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for a couple short completions, Pickett's string of reps were disrupted by the Browns' defense. Rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham forced a fumble after a handoff. Cornerback Chigozie Anusiem was in coverage for Pickett's end-zone incompletion, a pass that was intended for wide receiver Cedric Tillman and was thrown after some pressure.
Gabriel dealt with another drop in this session, as an out-breaking Diontae Johnson couldn't quite reel in the tight-spiraling throw for a touchdown. Gabriel did hook up with Thrash on a crosser, however.
Sanders didn't get a pass off in the red-zone drill. A low snap spoiled his first rep. Later, he took a coverage sack.