Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken announced his starting quarterback.Many fans and media outlets point to Deshaun Watson’s salary as the reason he got the job. The competition was primarily between Watson and last year’s fifth-round draft choice Shedeur Sanders. By naming Watson the starter, this pretty much relegates Sanders to the backup role.
RELATED: HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED THE BROWNS QB DECISION
So now, in Week 1 on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson will trot out on the field
as he has since arriving in Cleveland. As long as he has been healthy, he hasn’t been the backup in any Browns game.
That makes Sanders QB2 on the depth chart.Also in the QB roomare former third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and this year’s rookie, sixth-round selection Taylen Green out of Arkansas.
The Turk shows up on August 30. The roster will be pared down from the current number of players of 90 to 53. Are the Browns going to carry four quarterbacks? Green was drafted as a developmental prospect, and if they waive him, he won’t be coming back. Most teams only have three signal-callers on their main roster, and at least one on the practice squad.
By keeping all four quarterbacks, this means the coaching staff will have to release an extra tight end, cornerback, or defensive lineman. Are they really going to keep all four?
The Gabriel conundrum
The coaching staff needs their starter and backup. They have plans on developing Green.
Where does this leave Gabriel? This just might be a dilemma.
There was a time period in this year’s training camp when Gabriel was getting some glowing reviews. A few media outlets even asked if Gabriel should be in the mixof the QB battle between Watson and Sanders.
Gabriel has not shown anything in any of the preseason games. But realistically, none of these quarterbacks have gone up against any first-team defensive unit yet. Every preseason game has been versus the opponent’s second-and third-string defense. The decisions made on all four QBs have been based on what each one has done in practices. That has been against last year’s #4 defensive group.
Monken likes his quarterbacks to be big and athletic.Gabriel is 5’-11” and 205 pounds. It does not appear that during training camp and in preseason, he has been competing for the starting role. Or the backup.
But Gabriel is smart (3.91 GPA) and had a very good career in college. He was a First Team All-Big 10, named the Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year, and voted First Team All-American. So, he arrived in Cleveland with talent.
Gabriel spent the majority of training camp with the second-team offense. That should solidify the coaching staff’s stance that he can be a long-term backup with experience. Last year, he played in 10 games with six starts in which he went 1-5-0 and had a 59.5% completion ratio. He is now with his second coaching staff, and both have been satisfied with his efforts and development.
Browns QB room going forward
Right now, Gabriel offers the Browns a career backup signal-caller who has talent. But on the field, he hasn’t shown any indication that he is capable of guiding this offense and winning games.
Should Cleveland seek a trade partner?
The only value he has to the Browns right now is that Watson has been injured repeatedly since arriving. If he goes down again, Sanders would become the default starter, and an experienced backup would be necessary. Green has the talent, but he is nowhere near ready to start an NFL game and lead a complex offense.
If the Browns keep Gabriel, it is because of the above scenario. They know that Watson hasn’t completed an entire season yet since coming to Cleveland.
Watson’s time with the Browns so far:
- 2022: 6 games played, 6 starts, 11-game suspension
- 2023: 6 games played, 6 starts
- 2024: 7 games played, 7 starts
- 2025: 0 games played, 0 starts
Right now, the coaches and GM Andrew Berry have the opportunity to bail on Gabriel. Monken and his offensive coaches did not choose Gabriel and ended up with him. The QB room would continue with three guys, which is pretty standard around the league. This would allow the franchise to keep another player at another position of need.
A trade would strictly be for Gabriel to work into a backup role that could come in if needed. If the Browns’ coaches do not believe that Watson can finish a full season, then most likely they will keep him as QB3, who could slide right into the backup role in the event of another injury.
How do you think the QB room plays out? What is next with Gabriel?
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
