Browns Have New Quarterback Option With Brendan Sorsby in Supplemental Draft

The Cleveland Browns are allowing Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders to compete in training camp, but another quarterback option could be available.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is applying to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft.

After a legal spat over his NCAA eligibility, Sorsby is deciding to forgo his final season of college football. He mutually decided to part ways with Texas Tech. Sorsby’s eligibility status has been in limbo since he admitted to betting on games that included his own team. He completed a gambling addiction treatment program and appears ready to set aside the legal disputes in order to seriously pursue the NFL.

Browns head coach Todd Monken addressed Sorsby’s situation, and poured cold water on the controversial quarterback as a realistic option in Cleveland.

What Todd Monken said about Sorsby

"I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road. That’s my opinion, that’s not Andrew’s (Berry). I like the quarterbacks that we have,” Monken said two weeks ago. “I think that’s a slippery slope when you go down that, irrespective of talent, right?”

Cleveland’s current quarterback situation is hampered by the dark cloud that has overshadowed the organization since their pursuit of Watson in 2022. Following Watson’s trade to the Browns, he was suspended 11 games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and has only finished 19 games due to a myriad of injuries.

The Browns of all teams should know that availability is the best ability, especially for quarterbacks. But even though Monken supports his current quarterbacks, they’ve both shown inconsistencies throughout the offseason without many reasons to believe either could emerge as a legitimate long-term solution. That’s why Sorsby could be intriguing, even despite the controversy.

“In terms of the situation he’s himself in, we all know what that is. He put himself in that situation. And we’ve seen in other sports with players that have been banned for life from playing in professional sports,” Monken added. “I think that’s a slippery slope to go down that road. Again, that’s a question for Andrew and for management. But from my end of it, kind of a tough angle to go down that road and think that’s going to be your franchise quarterback if he’s ever eligible to even play in the NFL.”

What Andrew Berry said about Sorsby

Berry had a much more neutral response when asked about Sorsby in an interview on 92.3 the Fan on Friday.

“No different than we do every year,” Berry said. “We’ll do the work on all the prospects and then we’ll make the appropriate decision for the organization.”

Cleveland has become a place for second chances under Berry’s watch, and has found some talented players who had mistakes in their past.

"There are two questions I ask because we're all human. No. 1, is it the bad person or did they make a bad decision? And then the second piece is, what are they doing after the fact to correct the behavior,” Berry explained of how the Browns evaluate players. “I think, probably, within society so to speak, I think we could all stand to use a little bit more grace."

How would the Browns acquire Sorsby?

The supplemental draft would be scheduled for July. The Browns would have an opportunity to place a bid on Sorsby. If the bid is the highest, they’d be awarded the quarterback.

In the 2012 supplemental draft, the Browns used a second-round pick to draft wide receiver Josh Gordon. Because they used that Round 2 pick to secure him, the Browns would sacrifice their second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

It’s likely that Sorsby would cost a second-round pick. With a good season at Texas Tech, he would’ve been a first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.

If Berry thinks that Sorsby just made a bad mistake, and has made the appropriate steps to correct the behavior, it could be intriguing value for a general manager who loves a bargain.

The Browns have two first rounders in 2027 following the Myles Garrett trade. If Berry thinks the Browns will be too talented to draft a quarterback like Arch Manning or Dante Moore in the top of next year’s loaded draft class, parting with a second rounder to land Sorsby could make sense.

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