Cleveland’s 53-man roster gives Deshaun Watson the starting job, Shedeur Sanders the No. 2 role and sends Dillon Gabriel to injured reserve.

The Cleveland Browns somehow made their crowded quarterback room even more interesting while cutting their roster to 53.

Deshaun Watson is the starter. Shedeur Sanders is officially positioned as his backup. Rookie Taylen Green is also on the active roster.

And Dillon Gabriel? He’s headed to injured reserve with a back injury – but with a designation to return.

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That move might be the most important piece of Cleveland’s entire roster cutdown.

Instead of forcing the Browns to choose immediately among their young quarterbacks, Gabriel can return later in the season while Cleveland opens with Watson, Sanders and Green on the active roster. Cleveland’s official roster announcement specifically identifies Sanders as Watson’s backup.

For Sanders, that’s a meaningful development.

After all the noise surrounding Cleveland’s quarterback situation, he enters the season one play away from getting the football. Green remains another developmental option after showing his athletic ability during the preseason.

Cleveland made plenty of other decisions Sunday.

The Browns waived 16 players, including running backs Davon Booth and Ahmani Marshall, receivers Luke Floriea, Gage Larvadain and Kole Wilson, defensive end Logan Fano, linebacker Nathaniel Watson and safety Zion Washington. The contracts of cornerbacks Myles Bryant and D’Angelo Ross and defensive tackle Sam Kamara were terminated.

But the players Cleveland kept might tell the bigger story.

The receiving corps includes Jerry Jeudy and Tylan Wallace alongside Isaiah Bond, Malachi Corley and rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. Cleveland also kept second-year running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson with Raheim Sanders and fullback Michael Burton.

There’s youth all over this roster.

Defensively, Cleveland’s front includes Mason Graham, Mike Hall Jr., Jared Verse, Maliek Collins and Derek Barnett, while Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit and Tyson Campbell headline the secondary.

That makes Sunday’s roster less about one shocking cut and more about a changing identity.

Cleveland appears determined to find out what its young talent can become instead of filling the bottom half of the roster with familiar veterans simply because they’re safer.

And then there’s Watson.

The Browns have officially made him QB1. Sanders is sitting directly behind him.

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That’s going to make every Watson performance – good or bad – louder.

The initial 53 can still change once waiver claims begin, but Cleveland’s biggest decision has already been made.

The quarterback hierarchy is no longer hypothetical.

Now Watson has to justify it.