Dillon Gabriel is entering the preseason with his place on the Cleveland Browns roster far from secure.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named Gabriel the Browns player the team should cut before the regular season, pointing to the quarterback logjam created by the competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, as well as rookie Taylen Green’s developmental upside.
Dillon Gabriel is clearly the No. 3 quarterback. On the depth chart, he has little chance of surpassing Watson with his $41 million cap number, or Sanders, who took over for him in the second half of the previous season,” Moton said.
Gabriel started six games as a rookie last season, throwing for 937 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while completing 59.5% of his passes. Moton noted that the Browns could potentially draw late-round trade interest, but argued Gabriel would be a prime cut candidate if no deal materializes.
The preseason opener against the Chicago Bears will give Gabriel an important opportunity to make the case that he remains worth keeping. Watson will draw the start and is expected to play the first half. Shedeur Sanders will take the fourth quarter, leaving little time for Gabriel and Green to make an impression.
Dillon Gabriel Could Still Move Into Browns Backup Role
Gabriel’s path is complicated, but he could still climb to the No. 2 spot depending on how the Browns resolve their starting quarterback competition.
Sanders and Watson are competing for the starting job, with the loser expected to enter the season as the primary backup. However, there has been some conversation around the possibility that Sanders could become a trade consideration if he loses the competition.
Sanders would presumably carry more value than Gabriel on the trade market, and some have questioned whether Cleveland would want to keep him as a backup behind Watson. His sizable following could also create added pressure on Watson should the veteran struggle.
None of that makes a Sanders trade imminent, and the Browns have not indicated they are looking to move him. But it is a factor the team could weigh as it determines how to shape a crowded quarterback room. And it could open a clearer path for Gabriel to remain on the roster as Watson’s backup.
Browns Face Familiar Quarterback Roster Crunch
GettyCleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry is likely to trade a quarterback before the start of the season.
The Browns are no strangers to carrying four quarterbacks through the preseason and then facing difficult roster decisions at the end of August.
The issue is that other teams know Cleveland is very unlikely to carry all four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster. That limits the Browns’ leverage if they attempt to trade one of their passers, particularly if another club believes it can wait for a release.
Cleveland could keep all four quarterbacks, but doing so would come at the expense of depth elsewhere on the roster. The Browns have needs across multiple positions, and using four active-roster spots on quarterbacks would be a costly allocation.
For Gabriel, the preseason is the best way to change the equation. A strong showing could create trade interest or convince Cleveland that it cannot risk losing him.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Gets Bad News Ahead of Preseason Opener appeared first on HEAVY.