#HeyTony: Are the Browns hoping for Dillon Gabriel to win the starting QB job?

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.

Hey Tony: With the new talk of Dillon Gabriel being handed more than expected, don't you think the hope/plan all along was for him to win the starting job right out the gate?

-- Kyle, Louisville, KY

Hey Kyle: No. Rushing in a third- (or fifth-round) rookie to start the season against a gauntlet early schedule (Bengals, Ravens, Packers, Lion, Vikings) is stupid. There is no rush to see what Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders can do. They are under four-year contracts. They are developmental prospects. One may develop quicker than the other, but neither should be pressed to start so early in his rookie season. Also, it seems every one of the four quarterbacks has had a national “insider” hype him. First it was Sanders. Then it was Kenny Pickett. Then Joe Flacco. Now Gabriel has gotten some love. The pundits are all over the place. The Browns like Gabriel, but let’s see him perform against a live pass rush before making reservations for Canton.

Hey Tony: With a surplus of QBs could one or two of them be put on the practice squad and protected from week to week, or how does that process work?

-- Richard, Perrysburg, OH

Hey Richard: In order to re-sign a QB to the practice squad, he must first be cut and exposed to waivers. Then the player has to agree to sign a practice squad contract. He could sign with another team; so nothing is guaranteed. I don’t see this happening. I think it’s more likely all four QBs make the 53 roster (temporarily) and players from other positions populate the 16-man practice squad. If that happens, two QBs would be inactive on game day, with one being designated the QB3.

Hey Tony: We need help at WR, can we bring back Amari Cooper. He had a great connection with Joe Flacco previously.

-- Stephen, Belfast, Ireland

Hey Stephen: In eight games with Buffalo, playing with league MVP QB Josh Allen, Cooper had 20 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Cooper is still unsigned. He is 31. I think trading Cooper for a third-round pick was one of the best transactions Andrew Berry has made as Browns GM. Although Cooper and Flacco made beautiful music together in 2023, I really think his ship has sailed out of the Cleveland port.

Hey Tony: Which QB goes to the Titans?

-- Rich, Pittsburgh, PA

Hey Rich: It sure looks like Tennessee is in the market for a veteran QB after third-year passer Will Levis opted for season-ending shoulder surgery on Monday. No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward will be the Titans QB1. The other Tennessee QBs are Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle. The Titans would serve Ward well by adding a more experienced and accomplished veteran. Either Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett would be a quantum improvement over what they have. If I were the Titans, I would favor Flacco. There is a slim chance the Titans might pursue Bengals QB2 Jake Browning, who had some success in place of injured Joe Burrow when Titans coach Brian Callahan was Bengals OC. It was curious the Bengals added Desmond Ridder to their roster on Monday.

Hey Tony: With Quinshon Judkins' season in jeopardy, do you think the Browns may look for a veteran to fill that position until he returns to the field?

-- Mike, Smithville, OH

Hey Mike: I think the Browns will hold off on adding a running back until they know how Judkins’ legal situation proceeds. No doubt Judkins will be slapped with an NFL suspension. But if there is a chance Judkins would be available for, say, the final eight games, I think the Browns would be OK with proceeding with Dylan Sampson, Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong as their RBs in camp. They will also monitor roster cuts in early September. Too bad Nick Chubb isn’t available.

Hey Tony: Why do we always seem to have new players with legal issues?

-- Joe, Stow, OH

Hey Joe: I get it. I’m terribly disappointed with the Judkins situation. I don’t think there were any red flags – any history – to suggest he was a character risk. For that reason, I can’t blame the Browns. Blame the player.

Hey Tony: What is Mike Hall’s status? Will he be healthy to start the season?

-- John, Tampa, FL

Hey John: The Browns haven’t given an adequate update on Hall’s status since the 2024 season ended. He finished the 2024 season with a knee injury that required surgeyr. I expect him to open training camp on active/PUP, which means he won’t be practicing until medically cleared. 

Hey Tony: Is starting a right-handed QB then bringing in a left-handed QB any sort of advantage and if so will Browns use this strategy this year?

-- Jim, Wooster, OH

Hey Jim: Well, it’s not like an MLB bullpen. If anything, I would suggest the righty-lefty switch might be a disadvantage to receivers who have to adjust to the opposite spin of the ball. Either way, it’s not a major factor, in my opinion.

Hey Tony: If Mason Graham is as successful of a draft pick as Jed Wills, is Andrew Berry out? 

-- Jerry, Wadsworth, OH

Hey Jerry: Berry will have the opportunity to utilize his two first-round draft picks in 2026, no matter what.

Hey Tony: Do you think we will know the opening day quarterback before the  third preseason game? 

-- Bill, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Hey Bill: Gawd, I hope so. Sooner the better.

Hey Tony: Last season I was pessimistic about the Browns season even as an optimistic person. Turns out I was right. This year I feel no difference. Any reason to change my mind?

-- Eric, Columbus, OH

Hey Eric: Last season, the Browns were all-in on Deshaun Watson. It failed. This season is a transition season out of the Watson era. Now there is a plan to find the next QB (probably in the 2026 draft). I see light at the end of the tunnel. They just have to pick the right QB in 2026. 

Hey Tony: How much do you expect each QB to play in the preseason games. Also, which of the four QBs do you expect to be off the team by week one against the Bengals?

-- Trey, Columbia, MO

Hey Trey: I’d love for Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett to get in one quarter in Games 1 and 2 and then have the rookies split the remaining three quarters. I’d love for Kevin Stefanski then to name his starting QB for the season and have that QB play the first half in Game 3 against the Rams. We’ll see soon if Stefanski will reveal his plans. If a QB is subtracted, I suspect it would be Pickett via a trade for a late-round draft pick.