The Browns' quarterback competition is thought to be between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. The others on hand, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green, provide the Browns with a bit of a conundrum. See, the NFL is nearly evenly split in any given year between teams that opt to keep two or three quarterbacks. With four, the Browns may be inclined to send one elsewhere.
The most obvious trade candidate is Dillon Gabriel. Equally obvious is the destination that makes the most sense for him. Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski landed on his feet with the top job out in Atlanta with the Falcons, where the top two quarterbacks on the roster are southpaws Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Likewise, Gabriel is left-handed, and more than that, he was a noted Stefanski favorite before arriving in Cleveland.
Despite it making all the sense in the world, it hasn't happened to this point. As training camp begins around the league, the football gods may be forcing this one into action.
Falcons' quarterback injuries make a Dillon Gabriel trade more realistic
One of the biggest updates of the day came from Atlanta, where the Falcons will open training camp without either of their top two QBs. Penix's absence was expected following a late-season ACL tear in 2025; Tagovailoa's tweaked back stole the headlines.
Further complicating matters for the Falcons is that they released their presumed third-string quarterback, Trevor Siemian, with a non-football injury designation. This left them with undrafted rookie Jack Strand and Cooper Rush, signed the same day training camp opened, as their only signal-callers entering camp. That is far from an ideal scenario.
Neither Strand nor Rush likely has anything near a firm grasp on Stefanski's playbook. A trade for Gabriel would be the closest thing to a band-aid until the Falcons' rehabilitation team is able to deliver some healthy passers. It should also be noted that Stefanski also took 2025 Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees with him to Atlanta. It stands to reason that the playbook is nearly identical, if not a carbon copy.
The time is now for the Browns to be proactive. In some negotiations, it pays to be patient. The one making the first call always seems to be out-leveraged. When the asset is distressed and closer to a hot potato than a hot commodity, though, pride should be out the window.
Andrew Berry should be phoning Falcons GM Ian Cunningham — a former coworker from their Philadelphia days — and gauging interest now that the iron is scorching hot.
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