Yet again, the Cleveland Browns have a quarterback room that inspires more public debate than confidence. This time, however, it appears to be a two-man race for the starting job, as opposed to last season when all four signal-callers could have realistically gotten a chance.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders split first-team reps throughout spring workouts, with Dillon Gabriel behind them and rookie Taylen Green mostly taking mental reps.
However, it seems like the Browns' quarterback room might not be as crowded come roster cutdown day. In the latest edition of his podcast, ESPN insider Adam Schefter said he would be surprised if the Browns kept all four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster:
“Four quarterbacks on the roster right now, and there will not be four quarterbacks when the season starts — I don’t believe,” Schefter said. “Maybe they could carry all four. ... And the headlines of that camp, without question, are going to be: Who wins the starting quarterback job? Is it going to be Deshaun Watson? Is it going to be Shedeur Sanders? Are they going to keep the other two quarterbacks? Could they find a trade partner for Dillon Gabriel?"
Is Dillon Gabriel really the odd man out in Cleveland?
While this wasn't an official report from Schefter, and he did acknowledge there was still a possibility that Cleveland keeps all four quarterbacks, this could be a concerning sign for Dillon Gabriel specifically. Of course, it would be weird to watch the team give him more meaningful reps than Green just to dump him, but this is a ruthless business.
On paper, Taylen Green should be a practice squad player at best at this point in his development. The physical tools are enticing, but there's much more to playing quarterback than athleticism, and he doesn't appear close to being an NFL-caliber quarterback right now.
Whoever loses the QB1 competition will probably still play at some point this season. Still, given how much this team has struggled with quarterback injuries in recent years and considering Watson's injury history, letting Gabriel go could be a mistake.
Granted, he struggled as a rookie, and he's undersized for the position. But he's the type of player who can play mistake-free football and hold down the fort when the starter is out. He won't win you many games on his own, but he may not cost you many, either.
This has been a complex and unfortunate situation from the beginning. It looks like the front office and Kevin Stefanski's coaching staff had different visions for the quarterback position, and Gabriel is now entering a make-or-break training camp as a result.
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