P.J. Walker time? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/JpidkTvL0O

— betJACK (@betJACK) October 1, 2023

Third string quarterback P. J. Walker, who is currently on the Cleveland Browns practice squad, should be promoted to the 53-player roster lest another NFL team sign him away. Even though the Browns can “protect” four practice squad players, the protection only starts at 4:00 PM on Tuesday and there is a danger than he could be lost. Knowing that Deshaun Watson has potential arm issues, and the suspicion that backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson may not be as NFL-ready as the team thought, a number three quarterback with a career winning record is an asset who should not be given away. We hope this is not a year in which three quarterbacks have to start games for the Browns, but you never know.

Since quarterback is supposedly the most important position in the NFL, and since it takes months to learn a team’s offense and to become familiar with the personnel, the team cannot afford to give away quarterbacks. P.J. Walker is not a star talent, but for a number three he has excellent qualifications. He has a 4-3 record with Carolina as a starter, completing 57.5% of his passes with a modest passer rating of 63.9. It is not easy to win football games in Carolina, as Baker Mayfield will attest, and few third-stringers have winning records. Hard-core football addicts may remember Walker as the leading passer in the XLF in 2020, where he tossed 15 touchdown passes and threw for 1,338 yards for the 5-0 Houston Roughnecks.

Incidentally, several internet sites incorrectly indicate that NFL teams can completely protect four players on the practice squad from “poaching” by other teams. However, according to Jared Dubin of CBS Sports, these sites are simply wrong. As mentioned above, there is a window from the end of the team’s game until 4:00 Tuesday, when even protected players may be signed away.

A case could be made that Dorian Thompson-Robinson should be demoted to third string based on his miserable performance versus Baltimore. However, it is difficult to judge a quarterback when the offensive line gives up four sacks and eight quarterback hits and ten tackles for loss. Put it this way, DTR is unquestionably the quarterback of the future (QOTF). But it’s not the future yet. The Browns have other problems besides quarterback, but they would be wise to take out an insurance policy.