The Cleveland Browns have made their uninspiring decision regarding their starting quarterback.By Sunday, they have to determine whether or not to keep four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. If they choose to only keep three, will they waive second-year passer Dillon Gabriel or rookie sixth-rounder Taylen Green?Thursday night’s preseason finale will be a showcase game for Gabriel and Green. Green didn’t play at all in the first two preseason games and has taken few full-team reps this summer, with the focus on the competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.Earlier this week, Browns coach Todd Monken announced Watson as his starter and acknowledged that he long leaned in that direction due to Watson’s seven seasons of NFL experience.What to expect from Deshaun Watson as the Browns' starting QBZac JacksonMonken has maintained that he’s not worried about Watson’s reaction to being booed in the Browns’ home stadium last weekend — or that his decision to start Watson doesn’t seem to be popular in Cleveland (or anywhere else). But it’s curious that Sanders, who’s now clearly a backup and a young player who needs more reps, won’t play Thursday night.None of the starters for the Browns or Patriots are slated to play, but Monken said he’s also sitting Sanders because the team needs to see Gabriel and Green — not because of any potential reaction Sanders might get from the fans while Watson watches from the sideline.“We’d like to see Dillon more,” Monken said. “(How) it worked out last game, that was unfair to him. So, in order to do that, to see more of him and see Taylen, there’s just not enough reps. …“Just trying to see Taylen after he played pretty well in the limited reps he had against the Bills (in last week’s joint practice), and we want to see more of Dillon. It just hasn’t worked out trying to get those other guys reps. That’s the reason.”In any case, Gabriel’s future in Cleveland remains uncertain. He was clearly third in line all offseason, and the team’s long-term quarterback plans seem wide open. Watson is only signed through 2026.The Browns chose not to add a veteran quarterback in the offseason and drafted Green, believing he was athletic enough to potentially become a long-term developmental option. Green threw a touchdown pass and ran for another in a brief stint in last week’s joint practice, but on most days through camp — including two days of practice this week — Green has only been involved in individual drills.Outside help coming?All 32 teams must trim their rosters to the regular-season size of 53 by Sunday. The first run of the waiver wire will be Monday, at which time teams can officially begin building their 16-man practice squads.Given the Browns’ ongoing injury issues at tight end and defensive end and the lack of depth across the defense that’s been exposed in the first two preseason games, it seems a certainty that general manager Andrew Berry will be going outside for help in at least two spots at some point between Saturday and early next week.Though most of the team’s training camp injuries were regarded as minor and linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running back Quinshon Judkins and defensive tackle Maliek Collins returned to practice this week, the Browns lost starting defensive end Alex Wright to a season-ending Achilles injury during last week’s joint practice.Derek Barnett, the 30-year-old 2017 first-round pick, signed a one-year deal with the Browns and will be in the defensive end rotation.With Wright out, Isaiah McGuire presumably becomes the starter opposite Jared Verse as McGuire enters the final year of his rookie contract. But the Browns had been actively searching for another player in the edge group before Wright’s injury led them to Barnett, so that’s an area to watch this weekend.Veteran Julian Okwara and undrafted rookies Khordae Sydnor and Logan Fano are also in the mix, though the Browns moved defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. to the starting lineup at defensive end for last week’s second preseason game.Hall is definitely in the team’s plans assuming he can stay healthy. He missed eight games last season while recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the 2024 season finale, and he missed two weeks of this summer’s training camp after he took a hard hit from Judkins in a non-padded practice on Aug. 1.Mike Hall Jr. (right), a second-round pick in 2024, had a sack in the Browns’ preseason loss to the Bills. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)It’s unlikely that Hall would be a full-time defensive end, but he could earn rotational snaps as the defensive lineups continue to evolve. Given that Barnett was just added and Collins was just activated, the Browns haven’t had their likely opening day defensive line groups in a full practice yet.Collins’ return from the quad injury that ended his 2025 season came after he spent all of camp on the physically unable to perform list. Collins was seen working out on the field with members of the team’s medical staff during Cleveland’s morning walk-through sessions, and the goal for Collins was to get him back to practice as soon as possible and have him available — and in the starting lineup — for the Sept. 13 season opener.Defensive tackle Kalia Davis was injured on the first day of training camp and hasn’t practiced since, so it’s impossible to project if he will be on the 53-man roster next week. Collins and Mason Graham will be the starting defensive tackles, with Hall and some combination of Davis, Sam Kamara and Adin Huntington behind them, depending on how the Browns choose to proceed.For now, let’s consider Thursday night an important audition for young players at all three levels of the Cleveland defense. The Browns have good depth at safety, but it’s hard to say how things will shake out with the roster at cornerback, linebacker and up front.Along the other lineThe Browns have settled on their starting five offensive linemen: Spencer Fano, Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins and Tytus Howard. They’re listed from left to right, and they played as a unit in the joint practice with Buffalo. The starting five plus rookie Austin Barber are roster locks.Rookie center Parker Brailsford is a lock, too, if he’s healthy, but he practiced on Tuesday for the first time in more than three weeks. It’s unclear if Brailsford, who has an injury to his right (snapping) hand, will play Thursday night. But if he returns to health, he’ll be the top backup center.Either nine or 10 offensive linemen will be on the regular-season roster, which leaves Dawand Jones, KT Leveston, Zak Zinter and Luke Wypler for either two or three spots unless the Browns make an external addition. For most of camp, Leveston played guard but recently has mostly been at tackle, and Barber has repped at right guard. Wypler is a center only, and Zinter could be an emergency center.With Barber seeming to be next in line at right guard, Jones appears to be a near-lock to make the roster as a backup tackle. If the Browns lost a starting tackle at some point early in the season, they’d choose between Jones and Barber.Blocking help from the tight end spot figures to be a weekend priority for Berry as other teams shuffle their rosters. Harold Fannin Jr. is the clear No. 1 tight end, with Blake Whiteheart currently the clear No. 2 — and the only other experienced player currently in the group. Rookie Carsen Ryan has mostly worked at fullback, with veteran fullback Michael Burton having been injured for most of August. Burton returned to practice this week.The Browns lost two blocking tight ends, Jack Stoll and Brenden Bates, to season-ending injuries in August. Rookie tight end Joe Royer missed all of camp for undisclosed personal reasons. Stoll was definitely slated to make the team, and Bates was competing for a spot, so what was once considered a deep area is currently perilously thin.The Browns claimed undrafted rookie Dae’Quan Wright on Aug. 11, but he never participated in a practice, was waived Monday and is reportedly going back to college football.The team has shared no details about Royer’s absence or status, but even if he makes the 53-man roster, it’s hard to see him contributing anytime soon since he missed all of the preseason. Burton is a vested veteran who won’t be subject to the waiver wire if he’s cut this weekend, so the Browns could eventually bring him back. And the team’s plans at fullback and tight end are expected to be fluid for at least the next week.