The Browns may be headed toward a Dillon Gabriel call that won’t sit well with a lot of fans, but it’s starting to look like the kind of move the team can justify.
Cleveland’s decision to spend a 2025 third-round pick on Gabriel was never going to land cleanly with the fan base. He came in as a well-traveled college quarterback without the size or elite physical tools that usually calm nerves about a pick like that, so the reaction was always going to be split.
The rookie season hasn’t exactly smoothed things over. Gabriel opened the year ahead of fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders on the depth chart, and when Joe Flacco struggled, Kevin Stefanski gave Gabriel an early shot.
That didn’t stick. Gabriel has since lost his place to Sanders and, more recently, even lost his jersey number to Jared Verse.
Still, Browns beat reporter Zac Jackson of The Athletic doesn’t see Gabriel going anywhere unless Cleveland gets a meaningful offer.
"The Browns will only trade Gabriel if they feel they can get something of consequence in return," Jackson wrote. "There’s a scenario in which the primary competitors for the starting job stay healthy and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green makes a real push for a roster spot, forcing the Browns to make a decision on Gabriel in late August. But keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster is possible, and it’s too early to know how Green will perform - or even how much opportunity he will get."
That last part matters. Keeping four quarterbacks is no longer some wild, fringe idea for this team. It may actually be the cleanest path.
Deshaun Watson’s injury history is impossible to ignore, and the Browns know quarterback depth can disappear fast. Gabriel is under contract through 2028 on a rookie deal that doesn’t hurt the cap, which gives Cleveland a reason to hold onto him instead of cutting bait too early.
Taylen Green may offer more upside in Todd Monken’s system, but he comes with plenty of risk. He’s an explosive athlete with a big arm, yet his accuracy and decision-making are going to be under the microscope right away. For now, he’s more intriguing gamble than finished product.
Gabriel, by contrast, still has a path. It’s not a glamorous one, and it doesn’t point to meaningful snaps this season, but that doesn’t mean the Browns should rush to move on. He was a third-round pick for a reason, and there’s no urgency to push him out the door.
There are a few ways this could play out. Sanders and Gabriel could end up fighting for the No. 2 job next season.
Gabriel could settle in as Sanders’ long-term backup. Or he could become the kind of emergency quarterback another team needs after an injury.
For now, his place on the roster isn’t causing problems. He isn’t blocking first-team reps, he isn’t making noise publicly, and he hasn’t asked out. So the Browns can keep things steady, even if that won’t make the move any more popular with the people watching from the stands.
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