Brendan Sorsby’s decision to enter the NFL’s Supplemental Draft has led to widespread speculation about which teams might pursue him. At least one potential landing spot, however, can be crossed off the list.
The Cleveland Browns do not intend to bid on Sorsby, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The Browns are willing to stick with the quarterbacks they have now, and appear to have doubts about whether Sorsby’s off-field issues are totally resolved.
Browns coach Todd Monken hinted at that thinking when asked about Sorsby on June 1.
“I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road,” Monken said at the time. “That’s my opinion, that’s not (general manager Andrew Berry’s). I like the quarterbacks that we have. I think that’s a slippery slope when you go down that, irrespective of talent, right? In terms of the situation he’s (put) 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.”
The Browns also have experience with Johnny Manziel, who was drafted in the first round despite off-field concerns. That obviously did not work out for the team, as he was out of the league after two seasons.
Sorsby entered the Supplemental Draft amid legal wrangling over whether he would be allowed to play college football after betting on numerous games, including some of his own. The NCAA initially revoked his eligibility, only to be overruled by a judge. Those appeals are continuing, but Sorsby is rendering them moot.
