Dillon Gabriel’s spot in Cleveland looks shaky again, and this time the trade buzz is starting to follow him.
A year after training camp found the former Oregon Ducks quarterback buried in a crowded Browns quarterback room, he’s back in a similar setup. Cleveland is carrying four quarterbacks on a roster that usually trims down to two, sometimes three, and Gabriel still doesn’t seem to be in the mix for the starting job.
Last season, that role was basically handed to veteran Joe Flacco. This year, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders split an equal share of first- and second-team reps during minicamp and OTAs, while Gabriel handled the third unit.
That combination has put him on Bleacher Report’s list of quarterbacks NFL teams should be trying to trade for right now. Gary Davenport pointed to Gabriel as a name worth monitoring, along with Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, J.J. McCarthy and Jacoby Brissett.
"Other teams should kick the tires on acquiring him on the cheap," Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport wrote, referencing the former Duck. "To be clear, Gabriel is what he is-he doesn't have elite arm talent.
But he's an intelligent player who didn't make a ton of mistakes last year, throwing seven touchdowns against just two picks. He profiles better as a long-term NFL backup than as a full-time starter, and he has the potential to fill that role for a long time.
That would have value to more than a few NFL teams."
Gabriel’s rookie season gave him something to sell, at least statistically. He was productive in the limited starts he made, and that kind of profile can matter when teams are sorting through backup quarterback battles across the league. Sometimes a club decides neither option is good enough, and that’s where a player like Gabriel could become useful.
He also made a small change this offseason, switching his number from No. 8 to No. 6. Whether that’s the only change he makes before camp is over remains to be seen.
In Other News...
Former Tide Receiver Sees Something Familiar In Dan Lanning
Malik Benson has seen enough of both Alabama and Oregon to recognize a familiar coaching fingerprint when he sees one. The former receiver, who spent time with both programs, said Dan Lannings focus on team connection and the way Oregon practices with real edge reminded him of the standard Nick Saban built in Tuscaloosa, and that comparison helped shape his view of what the Ducks are building in Eugene.
Benson also pointed to some of the ways Oregon has tried to tighten its locker room, from leadership retreats to new-player singing and weekly get real sessions where teammates share their stories. Those details, along with his own experience being pushed hard early at Alabama, left him convinced that Lannings style is closer to a championship blueprint than a passing trend, even if the final step still has to be taken on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Still Has One Oregon Problem He Cannot Escape
Dan Lanning has done plenty right since taking over at Oregon, and the overall record reflects that. The Ducks have won a lot of games, the coach has piled up the kind of accolades that usually signal a program in good shape, and the foundation he has built is obvious enough to keep Oregon in the national conversation.
The nagging issue is what happens when the stage gets biggest. In too many of those high-profile matchups, Oregon has looked tired, flat, or simply not ready for the moment, and that raises the same question every season: can Lanning get the Ducks to peak when it matters most? Until that side of the job comes together, the programs ceiling remains just a little harder to reach. [Read more 🡒]
Autzen Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Ducks Fans Live For
Autzen Stadium has long carried a reputation that travels well beyond Eugene, and USA TODAYs latest Big Ten stadium ranking only adds to it. The outlet placed Oregons home field near the top of the conference, pointing to the noise, the edge it gives the Ducks, and the kind of atmosphere that has made visiting teams feel the pressure from the opening series on.
Dan Lannings tenure has only strengthened that case. Oregon has been extremely difficult to beat at home since he took over, and the Ducks now get to lean on that advantage as the season tightens. With late-season games still ahead in Eugene, Autzens reputation may end up mattering even more when the stakes rise and every detail starts to count. [Read more 🡒]