Dillon Gabriel might have a huge opportunity to get a leg up at Cleveland Browns training camp, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. As the Browns try to divvy up the reps between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and Gabriel and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel might have an intriguing shot here.
Pickett and Sanders are on the mend and as Fowler pointed out, Flacco is a known commodity. For Gabriel, who had a long college career culminating in some career numbers at Oregon, he has a chance to make a real impression.
It was always curious how the Browns would manage two veterans and two rookies on the QB depth chart. Could they all stay or is someone getting cut? Regardless, Gabriel has a chance to jump on, at minimum second-team reps with some first-team reps potentially available.
“The Browns plan is simple: get these guys as much throwing, as many scenarios in the passing game as they can, to properly evaluate them,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “I’m told with Joe Flacco, there’s less sensitivity with that, because they know what they have. But with two rookies and with Kenny Pickett, they were trying to get him as many throws. But Pickett got hurt, and now Shedeur Sanders has shoulder soreness. A big opportunity for Dillon Gabriel.”
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury in practice last week. The Browns acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served as a backup to Jalen Hurts last year.
Over two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and his one with the Eagles, Pickett has completed 62.4% of his passes for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Most of that came as a starter for the majority during his first two years spent with Pittsburgh after being a first-round pick by the Steelers in 2022. However, his career has taken a turn over the past year and a half with him having been traded twice in the last two offseasons.
So with Pickett out, Gabriel already moved up the pecking order, especially with direct competition against Sanders. But Sanders recently sat out practice due to arm soreness. At that point, Flacco and Gabriel took every single rep at QB.
While it’s certainly a unique QB room, Sanders provided an interesting perspective since he and Gabriel were both drafted by the same team this spring. Going from the highs of college football to competing for scraps at OTAs and training camp can be humbling.
“We’re all different characters,” Sanders said on Up and Adams in May. “It’s funny going in there and seeing Joe everyday. It’s funny because at practice I’m like ‘Wow I’m really with Joe Flacco right now.’ We’re on the same team! That’s cool and of course with Kenny, with the experience he has being in the league for these years it’s cool, just seeing the process. Deshaun of course, he’s active in there, he’s in all the meetings. It’s cool to talk to him.”
