With the quarterback position being the most essential in the NFL, Labor Day Monday brought some clarity for both the Cleveland Browns
and the NFL as a whole. After dealing Josh Dobbs and releasing Kellen Mond, the
Browns established their quarterback depth chart with Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the top.
While it was initially thought that Mond would return to Cleveland's practice squad, word soon spread that former Carolina Panthers starter PJ Walker would take his place.
While this had been widely rumored since early last week, Walker had not yet arrived in Berea and had not formally signed with the Browns practice squad until Labor Day:
Walker's arrival was also documented on the team's social media channels:Walker has appeared in 15 games with the Panthers, including seven starts,
in his three seasons with the team. His basic numbers weren't terrific (58% completion, 5 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), but Carolina went 4-3 during his starts.
Walker was expected to take over as the practice squad's emergency quarterback while fans and the media struggled to understand the new rules.
Clarity on that new regulation indicates that it is not possible, which has an impact on how we view NFL rosters.
To put it bluntly, the emergency quarterback cannot be a guy promoted from the practice squad: