Aug 3, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, US; A general view of a Miami Dolphins helmet on the field during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns QB Named Ironic Trade Target for Miami Dolphins

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 2:45 PM ET

The prevailing thought is that the Cleveland Browns will absolutely not enter the 2025 NFL season with four quarterbacks, so they will probably trade one of them before Week 1.

Currently, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are all competing for the starting job. The general consensus is that one of Flacco or Pickett will be under center for the season opener and that the loser of the two veterans will be dealt.

But is it possible the Browns could actually trade one of their two rookie signal-callers?

Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert thinks so, linking Gabriel as a potential trade fit for the Miami Dolphins, who apparently liked the University of Oregon product a whole lot in the NFL Draft.

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

Here's what makes the Dolphins' rumored interest in Gabriel so ironic: Gabriel has drawn striking comparisons to Tua Tagovailoa, who has been manning the quarterback position in South Beach for the past several years.

When healthy, Tagovailoa has proven to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but that's just the problem: the 27-year-old has had tremendous difficulty staying healthy and has played just one full season since being drafted back in 2020.

In the one full campaign Tagovailoa did play, he made the Pro Bowl and led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, so we know that the former Alabama star can sling it. But his checkered medical history makes him a rather shaky long-term solution in Miami.

Enter Gabriel, who is a bit smaller than Tagovailoa, but is also a lefty who makes very similar throws to the current Dolphins star. He also possesses the same type of mobility. Not only that, but both players are originally from Hawaii.

Perhaps Miami will ultimately place a call to Cleveland to see if it can pry Gabriel away, but it's important to keep in mind that the Browns used a third-round pick on the youngster, so they aren't just going to give him away.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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