NFL Rumors: Josh Dobbs Trade Wasn’t Pursued by Browns Prior to 2023 Deadline

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The Cleveland Browns didn’t explore a trade for quarterback Josh Dobbs ahead of the NFL trade deadline, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

Dobbs told Florio he was under the impression he’d be moved to the Browns or Minnesota Vikings after getting benched by the Arizona Cardinals. However, Florio reported “the Browns weren’t in it.”

Cleveland’s inaction at the deadline is especially notable now with Deshaun Watson undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

In Cleveland’s defense when it comes to Dobbs, there wasn’t a consensus opinion the 28-year-old was a hidden gem. He has had a pretty anonymous career to this point, one that included two separate stops with the Browns.

Dobbs has subsequently thrived in Minnesota while taking over for an injured Kirk Cousins. In two games, he has thrown for 426 yards and three touchdowns.

It’s a bit of revisionist history to blame Cleveland for both trading Dobbs to the Cardinals and then not being more aggressive to acquire him back from Arizona. Beyond Dobbs’ nondescript résumé, the franchise had spent a fifth-round pick on Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who looked good in the preseason.

Still, failing to trade for any quarterback at all could come to define the Browns’ season.

And the warning signs were there regarding the potential for Watson to miss more time. He had shoulder trouble earlier in the year that ruled him out for three games and limited him to 12 snaps in a Week 6 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Adding to the quarterback room would’ve been a sensible decision even without the benefit of hindsight.

Instead, the pressure is squarely on one of Thompson-Robinson or PJ Walker to keep Cleveland on its current trajectory to make the postseason.