While embattled Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby undergoes multiple investigations, his former teammate and new Cleveland Browns tight end Joe Royer offered praise for his ex-Cincinnati teammate.
One of the biggest stories in football right now concerns Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
The former Cincinnati Bearcats QB recently entered rehab for what he called a gambling addiction. In the meantime, he's under investigation on multiple fronts, including the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) and Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) from his previous college stints at Indiana and Cincinnati.
Additionally, the NCAA is conducting its own investigation following reports that he bet on a game while he was a member of the Hoosiers football team, which is explicitly prohibited.
In the meantime, his college eligibility remains very much in jeopardy. If he's deemed ineligible, it could pave the way for the embattled QB to enter the NFL via the supplemental draft this summer.
Conversations are already underway over what level of draft pick teams would be willing to forfeit to add Sorsby to their roster, even amidst a gambling scandal. New Cleveland Browns tight end Joe Royer, who spent the last two seasons catching passes from Sorsby, offered his support for his former college teammate at the team's rookie minicamp practice on Saturday.
"The film shows the type of player he is He had 10-plus rushing touchdowns this year. I think almost 30 passing touchdowns. He's got a big arm, can make any throw out on the field or any throw a QB coach could want out of their guy. He's big, he's quick, he's smart, I feel like he processes the game pretty fast. He's definitely got all the skills that make up a first-round quarterback for sure."
It remains to be seen whether or not a team would be willing to place a first-round pick value on Sorsby in a hypothetical supplemental draft scenario, especially considering how seriously the league takes gambling by its own players.
There's ultimately still a lot to unfold with this situation in general, but while it does, some have speculated that the Browns should be interested in Sorsby. Any GM would be smart to turn over every stone in trying to weigh the risk of adding the 22-year-old, Andrew Berry included.
How high Berry and company would be willing to go with their bid to potentially land Sorsby is to be determined. It seems unlikely, though, that Cleveland would go as high as Royer suggested and offer a first round pick for him.
Still, it doesn't hurt to have some insight from someone who played alongside him, and who broke Cincinnati's record for receptions in a single season by a tight end, while catching passes from him to boot.
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