Why the Browns are cool with Dorian Thompson-Robinson being one play away, and who their new experienced QB is

BEREA, Ohio -- Dorian Thompson-Robinson was napping last Thursday when the call came that Joshua Dobbs had been traded and he was now the No. 2 quarterback for the Cleveland Browns — one play away from replacing Deshaun Watson in this high-stakes season.
“What a whirlwind,” Thompson said after the Browns’ 33-32 loss to the Chiefs in the preseason finale. “I was half-asleep. We just got off of work. It’s moving fast, but I’m trying to take it all in and stay locked in with whatever the quarterback room needs me to be.”
What the quarterback room needs him to be is ready to perform at a high level in the event Watson gets injured — especially early on when the Browns play three AFC North games in their first four weeks.
“Dorian is a competitor and he can adjust on the fly,” Watson said. “I’m excited for him and wish nothing but the best for him.”
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Watson also knows he must help Thompson-Robinson during the week, and make sure he’s ready to play. Fortunately for Thompson-Robinson, he was coached for five seasons at UCLA by former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who prepared him for the NFL.
“It’s a good opportunity for him to continue to grow and build a bit more and have more responsibility,” Watson said. “I’m still there answering questions and coaching him as we go on. I think it’s going to help me make sure if he has any questions, that he knows. It’s a tough game. Sometimes injuries and stuff like that happens - knock on wood. You never know when you time is coming up to benefit the team.”
Thompson-Robinson, the Browns’ fifth-round pick, made Dobbs expendable in preseason with three outstanding appearances in which he used his underrated strong arm, his nimble feet and his high football acumen to exceed all expectations. He completed 37 of 58 attempts for 440 yards with two TDs and 0 INTs for a 98.4 rating. He also rushed 14 times for 69 yards and a 4.9 -yard average
“Dorian did what we asked him to do,” Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook said Wednesday. “We know quarterback’s the toughest position to play in all of sports and he just put his head down and he works. We’re just going to continue to ask him to do that. We don’t know the future. We don’t know if he needs to play a snap. We don’t know if he needs to play a thousand snaps. I think what he’ll do is just work, hopefully continue to make plays, continue to improve. That’s all we can ask of him. Whether he’s a rookie or a 10th year player, hopefully he still has the same approach that he has right now.”
On Wednesday, Thompson-Robinson was voted the Maurice Bassett Award winner for outstanding rookie in camp by members of the local media. He was one of six rookies to receive votes, including offensive tackle Dawand Jones, safety Ronnie Hickman, receiver Cedric Tillman, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate and cornerback Cameron Mitchell.
“He had a great camp,” Cook said. “I think you all saw it. We had a couple guys who I think would be in the running, so I don’t think you can go wrong. But credit to him again for just the things he did throughout the last month.”
The Browns did, however, sign a quarterback to the practice squad on Wednesday who has some starting experience in P.J. Walker, who went 2-3 in Carolina last year in place of an injured Baker Mayfield, with three touchdowns, and a 78.0 rating.
Originally signed by the Colts in 2017 as an undrafted rookie out of Temple (5-11, 216), Walker has started a total of seven NFL games, going 4-3 with five touchdowns against 11 interceptions and earning a 63.9 rating. He’s also rushed 18 times for 50 yards.
The Browns contemplated re-signing Kellen Mond, who spent all last season and this preseason with them, to the practice squad, but opted for Walker instead.
“I think it’s just building out the room,” Cook said. “Again, you never know. I wish we could hoard a hundred players given how we face injuries and the attrition in this sport. So we just want to make sure that the entire room roster is built out as robust as we can.”
Kevin Stefanski that Walker’s experience was a factor. In fact, he’s started five more games than Dobbs, who could end up starting the season in Arizona while Kyler Murray continues to recover from his torn ACL.
“I think we look at everything,” Stefanski said. “You look at what’s available and what can make your team better, and certainly we’ll make decisions based on that. But just felt like adding PJ Walker to that room was a good fit.”
It remains to be seen if Walker, 28, will be active on gameday.
In the meantime, Thompson-Robinson knows he can’t get caught napping anymore.