The Cleveland Browns dealt Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, moving on from their Week 1 starter and completing their second trade of a veteran quarterback in the last six weeks.

Kenny Pickett, who took the first reps before missing most of training camp and all of the preseason with a hamstring injury, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 25.

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The youth movement that’s been on since the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in April was accelerated last week when they benched the 40-year-old Flacco and named Gabriel the starter. Right now, all that’s clear about the order in the quarterbacks room is that Gabriel is No. 1. The obvious internal hope is that he keeps the job for the rest of the season. Even at 1-4, the Browns aren’t totally sunk yet in the AFC North.

These Browns were probably always playing for the future — and that’s just one reason Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski made the switch from Flacco to Gabriel. The offensive line woes and the early-season rash of dropped passes weren’t Flacco’s fault, but the Browns needed a spark after going three straight weeks of scoring just one touchdown.

Dillon Gabriel made his NFL starting debut against the Vikings and threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions. (Julian Finney / Getty Images)

Change had not only long felt inevitable, but in July, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said the team needed to see Gabriel, a third-round pick, and Sanders, a fifth-rounder, play this season b