Jun 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) talks to quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns Trade Quarterback Dillon Gabriel To Miami Dolphins?

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI | By Ally Osborne | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 9:20 PM ET

As the 2025 NFL Draft loomed closer, one of the many predictions for former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was that the Miami Dolphins would select him. Instead, the Cleveland Browns drafted Gabriel in the third round, before selecting another rookie quarterback in the fifth round, Shedeur Sanders.

Gabriel has long been compared to the Dolphins' starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, including by legendary coach Nick Saban on ESPN's College Gameday, and many thought the former Oregon Duck star could be a reliable backup for Mike McDaniel's offense, already built around a shorter, left handed starter.

In a twist of ironic fate, there is a connection still between Gabriel and Miami, at least according to former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert. Benkert shared on his "X" (formerly Twitter) account Tuesday that Gabriel could very likely join the Dolphins through a trade with the Browns.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

"They liked him a ton and saw him as an incredible scheme fit with athletic upside and were going to take him a few picks later, but then the Browns drafted him (per source)," Benkert said in his "X" post. "The Dolphins traded that pick away after Gabriel was no longer available."

I wouldn’t be shocked to see the #Dolphins trade for #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel at the end of preseason

They liked him a ton and saw him as an incredible scheme fit with athletic upside and were going to take him a few picks later, but then the Browns drafted him (per source)… pic.twitter.com/mSejjcgSBY
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) June 9, 2025

Obviously, the Browns will not enter the 2025 NFL regular season with four quarterbac ks (five if you count an injured Deshaun Watson), and as Gabriel battles it out with former Colorado Buffalo Shedeur Sanders, NFL veteran Joe Flacco, and former Philadelphia Eagle Kenny Pickett, the Browns will have to make a decision on who to let go.

This prediction from Benkert has its ups and downs for likeliness. First, the Browns would look fairly illogical using a third round pick on Gabriel only to trade him unless the return is significant. Gabriel signed his contract with the Browns just last week, worth around $6.2 million with a signing bonus of $1.16 million according to NFL salary database Over the Cap.

The Browns also declined Pickett's fifth-year option on his contract, leaving the quarterback a free agent in 2026. With less time on his deal, it would make more sense for the Browns to let go of the former Eagle. However, is his experience more valuable than either of the Browns' rookies?

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

There's also the fluctuating injury status of Watson, the previous starter. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot has reported that Watson is not being ruled out for a 2025 season return. If that is indeed the case, the likelihood for a quarterback being cut from the Browns gets more immediate.

There's also the Tagovailoa comparisons that prove Gabriel could be the right fit in South Beach. Both natives of Hawaii, Tagovailoa has proven to be a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, but continues to be bogged down by health issues. Since being drafted in 2020, Tagovailoa has suffered three diagnosed concussions, including one that sidelined him from four games last year. He also missed the last two games after a reaggravated hip injury he suffered last year as well.

Gabriel, though a few inches shorter than Tagovailoa, has all the characteristics to fill in for the Dolphins without changing much on offense.

Only time will tell if Benkert is correct in his assumption, but a future Gabriel trade to Miami will be laced with pre-draft projection irony indeed.