Will the Cleveland Browns trade one of their five quarterbacks on the roster? Could 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco or first-round 2022 NFL Draft pick Kenny Pickett be the odd man out? After rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel made headlines during rookie minicamp, the argument is being made Cleveland may keep both players.
The Browns quarterback competition is one of the most debated topics of this NFL offseason. Sanders and Gabriel received unprecedented media coverage during rookie camp in Berea. The attention is nothing new for Sanders, the middle son of "Coach Prime" Deion Sanders, or Heisman Trophy candidate Gabriel.
NBCSports analyzed the current conundrum in Cleveland. The panel come to the conclusion that one of the elder quarterbacks will likely be traded and the idea to draft Sanders during his NFL Draft fall to the fifth round must have come from the Browns ownership.
"I believe that either Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco is not going to make it. I think Kenny Pickett would be the odd man out. Because the two draft picks, you drafted them, you have to see what they could do. You've seen what these other guys could do. And Flacco just recently played with the Browns, so he kind of got the edge there," the show argued.
"They actively went out and tried to acquire (Pickett). So that tells you the disconnect of them drafting Shedeur. Whose decision was that?" continued the panel. "Because you made your decision to trade for Pickett and draft Dillon Gabriel... It's just a very weird situation in Cleveland that we just don't know how it's going to shake out. That's why I have to think that it was ownership. Not Andrew Barry or Kevin Stefanski who wanted Sanders."
One of the many challenges of this situation will be managing reps as this competition plays out. Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Gabriel and former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sanders both look to find their footing quickly in the NFL. Former Super Bowl MVP Flacco obviously has the experience edge. The Browns liked former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Pickett enough to trade for him. Deshaun Watson also would have been in the mix if not for suffering a re-rupture of his injured Achilles earlier this offseason.
Conflicting reports came from rookie practices on which quarterback shined brighter.
According to minicamp evaluations from ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi, Gabriel has been the better quarterback.
"I thought both days Dillon Gabriel looked a little bit better," Grossi said. "He throws a tight spiral. He throws a beautiful ball. He's very assertive. He knows the pocket... He just has a pocket presence. Better arm strength than I thought... You can say he's short. He's 5-foot-11. So, he's short. I thought Gabriel was a little better both days. Doesn't mean Shedeur Sanders is a bust or anything. The other guy just looks better."
After rookie minicamp wrapped up, Sanders walked with reporter Andrew Siciliano about how normal it felt to play again.
"I told myself yesterday, after yesterday's practice, I said, I gotta have more fun," Sanders said.
Siciliano asked if Sanders did not have fun?
"No, for sure I have fun, but you gotta think in those processes, so serious, so serious, so serious all the time. Whenever you're around the teammates and just being around everybody now, it gave me that wholesome feeling again, just being around just the team chemistry, the different personalities that you're going to meet," Sanders replied.
The Browns begin NFL preseason action on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. It'll be first look at Sanders and Gabriel in a live NFL game. Cleveland will also play the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams during the preseason before opening the 2025 campaign at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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