The Browns org believes they are now in a Super Bowl window...as a fan it's impossible to not think that as well. When you are 'THAT' team, your decision at backup QBs HAS to be different and much more aggressive/expensive.
My hope is that they have a guy like Flacco (hopefully Flacco himself) on the roster next year along with DW and DTR. The question: Would you rather have player X or a backup QB that may not play? Is easy to answer for THIS team in THIS window. It's a no brainer. Next man up at LT/RT/DE/SS/FS etc has been answered...and now also at QB...but not until we washed through two other guys on the way to Flacco.
My other hope is that we DON'T fall BACK into the trap of thinking we must have a viable backup that plays DWs 'style'. That guy doesn't exist...if he did exist, he'd be a starter somewhere. I'm on board if one wants to have a developmental guy with similar traits as the starter and try to mold that guy a little to the offense we want to run with our personnel...but I'm not on board with rolling the dice (again) at backup QB. Flacco has shown that he is a perfect backup for a coach like Ski...he's done being a starter...if he wants to play in '24 it needs to be with the Browns.
Lastly, we may have seen DW figure it out the last couple of games he played...but there are two glaring realities:
#1 - He is coming off surgery to his throwing shoulder. That may never heal up properly...that may take a few more months than timing allows...we can't take chances with that in THIS window;
#2 - DW has not yet proven that the rust is completely gone and he's back to his earlier Pro Bowl form. We can hope/wish/convince that he is now or is on the way...but the reality is that he has NOT proven much of anything yet. Whether we think he will/can is irrelevant and DTR isn't - and won't - be ready to take the reins of a team in its window.
If DW can't handle the 'pressure' of a then-39 year old backup...then he isn't the guy anyway.
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