Dorian Thompson-Robinson Shouldn’t Be On the Roster Bubble
Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns currently have four quarterbacks on the roster, which has caused some to speculate that Dorian Thompson-Robinson could be on the hot seat. Other than the numbers game, there has been no indication from anyone inside the Browns building that the case, but if it’s something Cleveland is considering, it would be a mistake. Thompson-Robinson shouldn’t be on the roster bubble heading into training camp.
Thompson-Robinson was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after being a standout with the UCLA Bruins. As a super senior in with the Bruins, DTR finished with a 9-4 record while passing for 3,154 yards, and throwing 27 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. There were some who had him as an intriguing sleeper in his draft class.
The hope for his rookie season was a slow adjustment to the NFL, but with injuries to Deshaun Watson, he was thrown to the fire and started three games. On October 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, DTR made his first NFL start, throwing for 121 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he threw for 165 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception. He did lead the Browns on a late drive to secure a game-winning field goal. After not performing very well overall, the team moved to replace him with Joe Flacco. In Week 16, DTR drew into the game for garbage time and injured his hip. He was placed on injured reserve, and the team has worked him back slowly this offseason.
Because of the struggles at times last season and now the hip injury, there has been talk about the roster bubble and maybe even a trade. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes that Tyler Huntley is the more likely trade candidate but didn’t rule out that Thompson-Robinson could be the one on the move.
“I think the Browns signed Huntley, in part, because they weren’t sure if Thompson-Robinson would be recovered enough from his hip injury to participate in organized team activities and minicamp, …” Cabot writes. “I think the Browns really like Thompson-Robinson as a developmental QB, and will try to keep him around. Perhaps someone will offer them a draft pick for Huntley like the Cardinals did last year for Joshua Dobbs.”
Thompson-Robinson started three games last year, but the team didn’t do him many favors in those games. Against the Steelers, the gameplan included 43 passes in a game the offense only scored 13 points in. The Browns were able to win, but having a rookie quarterback throw 43 times, especially when they are considered a project quarterback, isn’t the smartest game plan.
Even though he struggled, we shouldn’t be so quick to forget what he showed at UCLA. Just a little bit of film study on DTR shows a quarterback with a very talented arm, especially on intermediate throws. He was always known as a smart quarterback who was very good at reading defenses. At times, that skill in reading defenses didn’t translate well, but as he gets more time during the preseason in-game action, he will get more comfortable adjusting to the NFL.
The Browns brought in Jameis Winston this offseason, which gives even more reason for the Browns to keep DTR as the third-string quarterback. The Browns believe this is a Super Bowl-contending team, and as a win-now option, Winston fits the plan for 2024. If Watson goes down with an injury, Winston will be able to fill in and give the team a chance not to miss a beat. DTR can stay on the team as a third-string quarterback, and continue to learn from two veterans in front of him. If both Winston and Watson went down with injuries, the team might be in trouble this season, but no NFL team really expects to have a lot of success with a third-string quarterback at the helm.
Heading into the 2025 season, if it doesn’t look like Thompson-Robinson is making the progress that is expected, then it makes a whole lot of sense for there to be some questions about his spot on the roster going forward. But in the meantime, Huntley doesn’t offer a whole lot more on the field than DTR, and he isn’t the long-term backup solution in Cleveland. DTR has shown enough in college and the little strides he made last season to prove that he still deserves to be in the long-term plans in Cleveland.
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