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During last years training camp, former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was in a crowded position room with five quarterbacks on the Cleveland Browns roster. Fast forward a year later, and the Browns have done it again, this time with four quarterbacks on the roster that normally only includes two, sometimes three on the 53-man roster cutdown.
And, once again, Gabriel doesn't appear to be in contention for the starting job. It was essentially handed to veteran Joe Flacco last season, and Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders received an equal amount of first- and second-team reps during minicamp and OTAs this year. Gabriel ran the show with the third team.
Having been productive statistically during his handful of starts last season as a rookie, Bleacher Report tabbed Gabriel as a quarterback that NFL teams must pursue in trades right now. Other talents such as Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, J.J. McCarthy and Jacoby Brissett were also named.
"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."
Around the league, there are numerous position battles to be a team's backup quarterback. Sometimes, that NFL teams deems that neither player is fit for the role, which would be the time for Gabriel to capitalize on the opportunity.
Gabriel switched his number from No. 8 to No. 6 this offseason, and it's possible he could be switching to another team as well.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dillon Gabriel serving as prime trade candidate during training camp
