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For anyone reading even vaguely in between the lines, the Cleveland Browns are set to run a two-man starting quarterback race between Deshaun Watson and second-year pro Shedeur Sanders.
Despite having been drafted prior to Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft; 94th compared to 144th, exactly 50 spots ahead; Sanders looked far more like a future starter than Dillon Gabriel over the course of last season, where they started a combined 13 games (six for Gabriel, seven for Sanders).
So it is perhaps unsurprising that Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggests other NFL teams should come and make a play for the Oregon alum.
“Gabriel appears firmly third on the depth chart in Cleveland. If that’s the case, other teams should kick the tires on acquiring him on the cheap.” Davenport wrote.
“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.”
The Browns won’t exactly be desperate to move off a player they spent a top-100 pick on just over a year ago. Especially considering how tenuous their quarterback room is already.
But as Davenport notes, it would be hard for any reasonable person to put forward a cogent argument that the 5’11, 205 lb signal caller has true starter-like qualities. And with players like Watson on the roster, who has clearly-demonstrated franchise QB capabilities, and Sanders – who has shown playmaking ability and has built-in star-power, the writing is already on the wall for the current Browns QB3.
If Cleveland can find a way to get a mid-Day 3 return on their investment; something in the ball park of a mid-to-late fifth round pick, there is no doubt it would be a considered a big success.
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