Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel has spent the early stretch of training camp in the background, but that hasn’t meant he’s been idle.
With Deshaun Watson back on the field after missing all of last year with a twice-torn Achilles tendon, Gabriel is the third name in a quarterback mix that already feels crowded enough. He also arrives with a rookie stat line that didn’t exactly force the issue: in six starts, he completed 59.5 percent of his passes and won just one of those games. Still, by the numbers that matter most, he was better than fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders in nearly every category.
Even so, Gabriel isn’t acting like someone who feels pushed aside. On Wednesday, he said he never felt “disrespected” and made it clear he understands how the league works.
He also sounded comfortable talking through the offense, pointing to how closely it matches what he ran in college. Gabriel said:
“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 kind of comfort can matter, and head coach Todd Monken said Gabriel has handled the situation the right way. Monken praised Gabriel’s even demeanor and said his personality stands out once you’re around him:
“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 Browns’ Week 1 job still looks like it will come down to Watson or Sanders unless something major changes before the opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But in Cleveland, quarterback situations have a way of changing shape fast. Gabriel staying steady and ready could still matter before the regular season is over.
In Other News...
Taylen Green Is Suddenly Testing The Browns' Crowded QB Pecking Order
Taylen Green has given the Browns something to think about in the first week of training camp, even with limited chances to work. The sixth-round quarterback has looked comfortable enough to stand out in a room already built around Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and his physical tools have only added to the intrigue around his early work.
Greens path still looks uphill, but camp has a way of reshuffling a pecking order when the reps start piling up and the evaluation gets more serious. If the top of the depth chart remains unsettled, a player who keeps flashing in the background can force his way into a conversation the Browns did not necessarily expect to be having this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Noticed One Practice Decision In The Watson Battle
Todd Monken keeps saying the two-minute drill matters in evaluating quarterbacks, so when practice ended early after Shedeur Sanders guided the first-team offense through a clean hurry-up sequence, it did not go unnoticed. The Browns had built that work into the session as another chance to separate the quarterbacks, but the drill became the kind of small practice detail fans latch onto when a competition is still very much alive.
Deshaun Watson and the second-team offense never got their turn in that same situation, which only added another layer to a battle that has been watched closely as the preseason nears. Watson answered with a strong practice the next day, keeping the race from moving in any clear direction, but the larger picture remains the same: every snap, every period and every decision around who gets work is being read as part of the evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Camp Injuries Are Suddenly Raising The Stakes Up Front
Training camp has already turned into a test of depth for the Browns, and the issues up front are making it harder to sort out the roster. A thin group on both lines has left the team navigating a practice week where availability matters just as much as execution, with the offensive line drawing particular attention as the preseason opener creeps closer.
Elgton Jenkins and Parker Brailsford both missed Wednesdays practice, which gave Luke Wypler a chance to work with the starting offense. For a staff trying to get its scheme in place, the timing is less than ideal, and Todd Monken is set to finalize the offensive installation on Thursday before Cleveland faces the Chicago Bears in preseason play. [Read more 🡒]