Dillon Gabriel has been a secondary figure in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition, but he is making the most of his limited opportunities.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have alternated with the starting offense through the opening days of training camp. Gabriel has worked further down the depth chart alongside sixth-round rookie Taylen Green. However, Gabriel’s performance has caught the attention of Browns head coach Todd Monken.
“I thought he looked really good (Thursday), did some really good things,” Monken said. “Guy’s a good quarterback. You don’t get to this level – same with Tay (Taylen Green) – without being elite. I don’t care if you’re a coach, if you’re in this building, you’re at the top of your profession. Coaching and playing. And everybody else in this building. So, they’re talented players; we just don’t have enough reps to go around.
“So, how does that change for any player on the roster? Keep doing what you did yesterday, right? Whether it’s him or anybody else who isn’t getting the same reps. But I thought he functioned at a high level. He had a really nice bench route where he anticipated the throw, and he prepares like he’s going to get first-team reps, which is awesome.”
Dillon Gabriel Faces Uphill Climb in Browns QB Battle
Gabriel entered the NFL as a third-round pick and opened his rookie season as Joe Flacco’s backup. He moved into the starting lineup in Week 5 and went 1-5 across six starts.
Gabriel completed 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He generally protected the football but struggled to create the explosive plays Cleveland needed, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt.
A concussion interrupted Gabriel’s run as the starter and opened the door for Sanders, who eventually took over the job.
There is still significant time for the competition to change. The Browns have not yet started practicing in pads and have three preseason games on their schedule.
Those games will provide Gabriel with his best opportunity to gain ground. Monken plans to play his quarterbacks and said Cleveland needs to see how they respond against opposing defenses.
“We’re going to play in the preseason,” Monken said. “I won’t back myself into a corner. Right now, I plan on playing the starters, but I plan on playing our guys. We’re going to see what we’ve got, especially at quarterback.”
Cleveland will also hold a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills before the teams meet in the preseason.
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The Browns have four quarterbacks on the roster, and finding enough work for each of them has already been a challenge. Keeping all four on the 53-man roster would be difficult, but the Browns have not ruled it out. General manager Andrew Berry said Cleveland will remain flexible and allow training camp performance, injuries and potential opportunities around the league to shape the final decision.
“It’s not a situation where guys are on scholarship in terms of a roster spot,” Berry said. “I don’t think you can be prescriptive at the beginning of camp, because things are going to surprise you in both directions.”
Gabriel said during offseason workouts that he would not allow the attention surrounding Watson and Sanders to alter his approach.
“I’m just running my own race and focused on what I can control, and that’s mastering my reps and doing it at a high level,” Gabriel said in April.
That path remains narrow, but Gabriel is doing what he can to stay in the competition. If he continues to perform the way Monken described, the Browns may eventually have to give him more reps — or determine whether another team will.
Browns Make ‘Elite’ Statement on Dillon Gabriel Amid Watson-Sanders Battle