Cleveland Browns trade Joshua Dobbs to Cardinals, elevating Dorian Thompson-Robinson

BEREA — Thursday started with the Browns putting Kellen Mond on waivers and confirming that Joshua Dobbs was, indeed, their backup quarterback.

It ended with Dobbs being sent in a trade along with a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick, the team officially announced Thursday evening. Mond, according to a league source who previously confirmed the Dobbs trade prior to it being announced, was also pulled back off waivers.

Dobbs will be reunited with former Browns quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing, who is now the offensive coordinator in Arizona. He is expected to compete with another ex-Cleveland quarterback, Colt McCoy, and rookie Clayton Tune to be the starting quarterback as Kyler Murray continues to recover from a knee injury.

The moves now makes rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson the No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson. Mond, for the time being at least, takes the same No. 3 spot he held last season.

Immediately after the Browns' final training camp practice ended around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, coach Kevin Stefanski told the media Dobbs was the No. 2 quarterback behind Watson. That was expected to be the plan from the time the team brought him back on a one-year free-agent deal in March.

"We really like that quarterback room just in total," Stefanski said after practice Thursday. "You know, really excited about where all those guys are confident in all the backups. They play a huge role in that room."

Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson makes a rapid ascension with Browns

The move speaks to the massive leap Thompson-Robinson has made in the eyes of those in the organization this training camp. While there was always a belief the fifth-round pick out of UCLA could eventually take the No. 2 role behind Watson, it was presumed in the spring that would occur next season.

Instead, it's going to happen in the 23-year-old's first season in the NFL.

"Just speaking to DTR, he's coming along, he's making great strides," Stefanski said. "We're excited about his future. And just for the focus for him and for all our guys is just to continue to work. I mean, going into week one, you look at your depth chart and you just want guys to continue to grow and get better because, as you all know, there's times that guys are unavailable due to injury or otherwise. So it is a constant striving to get better."

Thompson-Robinson has played five total quarters over the Browns' first three preseason games. That includes the entire second half of the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets, the third quarter of the second exhibition against the Washington Commanders before starting and playing the full first half against the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday.

Against Philadelphia, Thompson-Robinson completed 13 of 25 passes for 164 yards, while being sacked once. He led the Browns to an 8-3 halftime lead in the game, which ended in an 18-18 tie.

"First of all, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to go out there and do that," Thompson-Robinson said after the game. "I thought it felt pretty good. It felt like we moved the ball pretty well when I was in there. Obviously there's some throws and some plays I want back and some calls, but overall I thought I did a pretty good job for my first time out there."

Thompson-Robinson's preseason stats: 30-of-46 passing for 348 yards and two touchdowns. He's also rushed 13 times for 65 yards.

Joshua Dobbs was initially brought back to Browns to be backup

Dobbs originally signed with Cleveland as the No. 3 quarterback in April 2022 behind Watson and Jacoby Brissett. He rose to be Brissett's backup for the 11 games Watson was suspended by the league.

"I've been very blessed to be around some great backup quarterbacks," Stefanski said. "Some young guys, some old guys, different styles of players. I think it's an important fit in that room. That's why I'm so excited about our room in total, with everybody we have in there. Just can get a lot of work done. It's a great room where they push each other, they challenge each other, they support each other, and I think all of our guys fit that mold."

When Watson returned to the active roster on Nov. 28, Dobbs was put on waivers by the team. He eventually signed with the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 21, and started the Titans' final two games of the season against the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars as they pushed for an AFC South championship.

Dobbs completed 40 of 68 passes for 411 yards in those two starts. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions.

In his only appearance this preseason, Dobbs played all but one drive in the first half of the Aug. 11 game against Washington, going 8-of-16 passing for 77 yards and one touchdown.

Kellen Mond remains on Cleveland Browns roster for time being

The question about Mond is whether or not Thursday's moves signal a new life with the Browns, or merely just a postponement of an inevitable move. He seemed like the odd man out when there were four quarterbacks on the roster, which was the way it was until about 8:30 a.m. Thursday when he was initially placed on waivers.

Mond, like Thompson-Robinson, has played in five quarters this preseason. He started against the Jets, going 13-of-19 passing for 92 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The two reversed the roles in Philadelphia, where Mond came off the bench to start the second half and went 12-of-24 passing for 126 yards with a touchdown. For the preseason, he has completed 32 of 55 passes for 297 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, one sack and six rushing attempts for 25 yards.

Originally picked in the third round of the 2021 draft by the Minnesota Vikings out of Texas A&M, Mond was claimed off waivers by the Browns on the day after the deadline for the initial 53-man roster last August. He was not active for any of their 17 games last season.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns trade backup QB Josh Dobbs to Cardinals