Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett Reveals First Impression Of 'Composed' Dillon Gabriel

Although the stakes and pressure are certainly high, not only with Gabriel being a rookie but also with questions about his height and overall ability to succeed in the NFL, he has stayed true to the player Oregon fans knew well: a calm and composed play caller.  

On Tuesday, defensive end Myles Garrett was back with the Browns for mandatory minicamp. 

During his first open session taking reps against the four quarterbacks vying for the starting job, Garrett saw limited action, primarily squaring off with the rookies. Although he didn’t line up against Sanders, he did get a brief look at Gabriel during full-team drills. 

Overall, Garrett has been encouraged by the performance of both the veterans and rookies. 

“I only really saw Dillon today as far as getting reps in team. He looks composed. He's running the offense pretty well. His eyes got pretty big when I got free and I was face up on him," Garrett said. 

"But all of them look pretty calm, just going through their checks, going through their calls, making the plays they need to make, not doing too much right now, and they'll have time to continue to display their talents. It's just one day at a time. Continue to earn the trust of your coaches and your teammates, and I think they'll be able to open up the game," Garrett continued.

While veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have primarily handled the bulk of first-team work during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills so far this offseason, Tuesday’s session saw a slight shift. Flacco’s reps were scaled back, allowing Dillon Gabriel to see more time with the starting unit during full-team action. Shedeur Sanders also rotated in more frequently, particularly during the final red zone sequences per News 5 Cleveland.  

Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said the change in Flacco’s reps was planned. He explained it was a way to learn more about the veteran while also giving the rookies more chances to grow and get comfortable in the offense. 

"Just trying to be intentional about everything. Certainly, Joe had fewer reps today. That’s obviously on purpose and just trying to find out, get as much of an evaluation on the guys as we can," Stefanski said. 

Gabriel has made the most of his increased opportunities. While he’s certainly still adjusting to the speed of the NFL, his calm decision-making and ability to extend plays have stood out during minicamp. 

As for the quarterback competition, things are still wide open. Flacco and Pickett may be leading the pack with their experience, but both Gabriel and Sanders have started to turn heads with their growth over the past few weeks. It’s clear the Browns are in evaluation mode, giving all four quarterbacks chances to prove themselves.