Dillon Gabriel has spent the early stretch of Browns training camp in a strange spot: around the quarterback battle, but not really at the center of it.
That’s the reality when Deshaun Watson is healthy enough to work after missing all of last season with a twice-torn Achilles tendon, and when Shedeur Sanders is drawing plenty of attention too. Gabriel, meanwhile, has been the quieter presence in the room, even though his rookie numbers last season were modest and the Browns won only one of his six starts.
Still, Gabriel had a statistical edge over Sanders in just about every category that counts, and he doesn’t seem interested in making a scene about where he fits. On Wednesday, he said he never felt “disrespected” and added that he understands the NFL is a business.
He also sounded comfortable discussing the offense and his ability to get up to speed with what head coach Todd Monken wants. Gabriel pointed to the similarities between that system and what he ran in college, saying:
“I don’t think picking up an offense has ever been a problem for me. I think conceptually, if you see it, a lot of people are on the same (stuff); it’s just how you call it and how you get to things. In man versus zone, or a two-high one-high, do you want an all-call where you can play it split field on one play, or do you want to get to a premier play where there are multiple winners against a certain coverage?
“I think I take that kind of attitude toward it, plus my time with Coach (Dan) Lanning - whatever that Georgia tree is - and Coach Monken being there, I think there’s some similarities. Even in practice and how we’ve seen our offense, it’s kind of similar to Oregon.”
That comfort level could matter. If Gabriel already has a handle on the system, that gives him a path to stay in the mix even while the spotlight sits elsewhere.
Monken noticed the way Gabriel has handled the situation, too. On Wednesday, he praised the quarterback’s temperament and how he has dealt with the limited reps:
“One thing Dillon does a really good job of is he’s very even-keeled. First of all, he’s got a great personality; he’s fun to be around.
You wouldn’t know it unless you’ve been around him. He seems stoic, but no, he’s actually very funny, has a great personality, and he’s handled this situation with unbelievable class.
“Every player wants to compete, and he hasn’t really had the opportunity in terms of the number of reps. He’s had a chance to compete just with a different number of reps.
So, I think he’s done an unbelievable job that way, and for the lack of reps, he does a great job carrying over the meetings to the field. He does a great job with a limited amount of reps, which is a credit to him.”
For now, the Week 1 job still looks like it will come down to Watson or Sanders unless something dramatic changes before the opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But this is the Browns, which means the quarterback picture rarely stays tidy for long.
That’s where Gabriel’s approach could end up mattering. If Cleveland needs more than one quarterback again this season, staying ready might be the part of camp that pays off later.
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