Jared Verse wore No. 8 during Browns practice and said he doesn't plan to pay Dillon Gabriel to keep it. The rookie move carries a bit of swagger, but it also says a lot about Gabriel's place on the depth chart.
The main return in the Myles Garrett trade, Verse wore No. 8 with the Chargers and kept it when he joined Cleveland, even though it was already listed under Gabriel's name.
"I don't think I'll have to pay for it," said Verse. "I should have it soon enough." Gabriel responded, "I was kind of hoping he would pay me for my number."
A number usually changes hands through a purchase or a trade, but Verse seems to think he'll have his without much trouble. It hints that he doesn't expect Gabriel to be on the roster long enough for it to become an issue.
Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images
With the NFL requiring all duplicate numbers to be sorted out by the final 53-man cutdown, this jersey choice also signals where both players may stand come decision time.
It's rare to see a team keep four quarterbacks, and with Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel, and a rookie all on the depth chart, something has to give. Gabriel went 1-5 as a rookie starter and is already behind Watson and Sanders in the current pecking order.
Verse taking over his number without much fuss says plenty about where things stand. The Garrett trade was also about finding a long-term solution under center. Now, the player they brought in from that deal is sitting in the spot of a quarterback who probably won't be around when that answer takes shape.
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