The return of Bailey Zappe raises questions about whom the Browns trust as their No. 3 emergency QB -- Zappe or Shedeur Sanders? (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The trade of Kenny Pickett temporarily moved Shedeur Sanders up one notch to QB3 on the Browns’ roster behind starter Joe Flacco and QB2 Dillon Gabriel.
But that may change.
Late in a busy day of transactions, the Browns added Bailey Zappe to their practice squad, restoring their quarterback roster to four once again.
Zappe spent 11 weeks on the Browns’ practice squad in 2024 and became the 40th QB to start a game in the franchise’s expansion era when he started the final game in Baltimore. He joined the Chiefs’ practice squad for a second time this summer and was waived on the cut to 53.
How does this affect Sanders?
The Browns have to declare an emergency No. 3 quarterback for every game. It’s possible they are not quite comfortable yet with Sanders filling that role at the start of the regular season and wanted a veteran quarterback with familiarity of Kevin Stefanski’s offense to be their game day No. 3.
The transaction was completed after Stefanski’s availability on Wednesday, so the club has yet to comment on Bailey.
Earlier, Glenn Cook, assistant GM, was made available to reporters, in compliance with NFL media rules. Cook was asked if the team wanted to sign a veteran QB to the practice squad, and he answered, “We’ll see.”
It is believed the Browns preferred to re-sign Tyler Huntley to the practice squad, but he chose to return to the Ravens after the Browns waived him.
If Zappe indeed serves as the emergency QB early on, he would have to be elevated from the practice squad to the 53 roster by Saturday of game week. A team is allowed two standard elevations from the practice squad per week. But a practice squad player can be elevated only three times per season.
Practice squad additions
Teams can sign up to 16 players to their practice squad. A 17th spot is reserved for a player from the league’s International Pathway Program.
On Wednesday, the Browns added 12 players to their practice squad.
Besides Zappe, the Browns signed two players waived by other teams – receiver Malachi Corley (Jets) and interior offensive lineman Cole Strange (Patriots).
The other nine practice squad additions were all in Browns training camp this summer.
They are: running back Ahmani Marshall, running back Trayveon Williams, receiver Kaden Davis, tight end Sal Cannella, defensive Julian Okwara, defensive tackle Sam Kamara, defensive tackle Ralph Holley, cornerback LaMareon James, and safety Christopher Edmonds.
The Browns also were awarded two players via waivers, which means they are on the 53 roster.
They are: cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Jets) and running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders (Chargers).
To make room for these players, the Browns waived TE4 Brenden Bates and CB5 Dom Jones. It’s likely they would be brought back to the practice squad.
Gabriel as QB2
There is no further competition between Gabriel and Sanders for the QB2 role – until further notice. The Browns are entrusting Gabriel to be “one play away” from taking over for Flacco.
Stefanski said, “There’s a lot that goes into being a backup quarterback in this league, and you have to be ready at a moment’s notice when you don’t get reps. You have to understand the game plan as well, if not better than the starter. You have to support the starter. You have to be in there, tied at the hip with the starter in so many of these meetings and in the preparations, getting ready, and then you have to stay ready. It’s one of those things we talk about, really, at every single position, you have to stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. That’s important, certainly, for all positions, and it’s important in the quarterback room as well.”
First of many future awards?
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger won the media vote for the annual Maurice Bassett Award, given to the outstanding rookie of camp.
Media members who cover the club on a daily basis were asked to vote for a first and second candidate. I voted Schwesinger first and receiver Gage Larvadain second.
“I think it’s great,” Schwesinger said. “Our rookie class had a productive camp and there’s a lot of rookies I’m looking forward to being able to take the field with.”
Schwesinger, the first of two second-round picks by the Browns in the April draft, No. 33 overall, is one of six rookie draft picks to make the 53. Running back Quinshon Judkins will be the seventh when the NFL and NFLPA resolve a possible suspension for personal conduct violations.
Stefanski, and Cook, noted that Schwesinger made a play on a ball at Wednesday’s practice, which was closed to media.
“The ball seems to find him,” Stefanski said. “He’s, as you guys have seen, he does a nice job of running a defense, which is not easy for a young player. But in order to do that, in order to tell people where to get lined up, you have to know your stuff, and he really does know his part of this thing and how he factors into it.”
The Browns also kept six other undrafted rookies. So they can begin the season with as many as 13 rookies on their roster of 53.
It’s obvious that GM Andrew Berry has made it a priority to re-populate the roster with younger players after not having first-round picks the previous three seasons and no second-round pick in two of the seasons.
Cook would not concede that, however.
“I think it was more about … raising a level of competitiveness,” he said. “If you’re going to talk about being a team that competes, it’s opening up the roster spots to whoever earns it. And I think that’s more of a sign of those young guys are coming in, no matter where they came from, how they were acquired and sort of earning it every day. It just so happens that it’s a lot of young players.
“I wouldn’t say we intentionally said, ‘If you’re younger, you are a priority.’ But we also were open to, ‘Hey, you know, if you’re Adin Huntington, and you show us that you deserve to be on the roster, you know you’re going to be on the roster.’ So, I think it speaks more to that than some specific, like, intentionality around age.”
Brownie bits
Cornerback Denzel Ward returned to practice after being out several days with a shoulder injury …
DNPs were center Ethan Pocic (knee), linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (undisclosed) and tight end Blake Whiteheart (knee).