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Trying to Make Sense of the Browns' QB Situation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Luke Easterling | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 1:59 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation is still drowning in the wake of the Deshaun Watson debacle, but the team made a flurry of moves this offseason to try and remedy that with both short-term, band-aid solutions, as well as future investments.

Right away, the easy money is on veteran Joe Flacco to be the Week 1 starter. The longtime Baltimore Raven returns to the Dawg Pound after spending last season with the Indianapolis Colts, and two years after he led the Browns to a 4-1 record on his way to winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors after being signed off the couch.

But at 40 years old, Flacco is clearly just a stop-gap solution. He's not the only veteran Cleveland brought to the party, though. Former first-round pick Kenny Pickett was acquired via trade from the Philadelphia Eagles back in March, giving them another passer with starting experience.

Then in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns spent multiple picks at the position. In the third round, they opted for Oregon's Dillon Gabriel despite the fact that Colorado's Shedeur Sanders was surprisingly still available. When Sanders was still on the board into the early going of the fifth round, the Browns traded up and took him, too.

On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," I sat down with Athlon Sports NFL writer Doug Farrar to break down a quarterback room that has plenty of cooks in the kitchen, and he clearly has high hopes for the future when it comes to one of those rookies.

"I was very, very high on Dillon Gabriel," Farrar said. "Under pressure, 20 or more air yards, outside the pocket...everything you want in a modern quarterback, he was at or near the top of the NCAA last year at Oregon in all of these categories."

Despite some detractors who didn't think Gabriel had the deep-ball arm strength to be a quality starter in the NFL, Farrar doesn't share those same concerns.

"You are not watching tape if you don't think that Dillon Gabriel has a deep arm," Farrar said.

Farrar says that if you pay close attention to what was said post-draft by Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, it's clear they view Gabriel and Sanders through different lenses when it comes to their fit on the current roster.

"With Sanders, both Stefanski and Berry were like, 'Yeah, we'll see how it works, we'll see how it fits,'" Farrar said. "With Gabriel, it was like, 'Yes, he works on the boot action, he gets the stuff downfield, he makes all the reads, he makes all the throws.' They were consistently in on Gabriel fitting in that offense."

Another myth surrounding Gabriel's transition to the NFL comes from a negative perception of the offense he ran at Oregon, but once again, Farrar debunks it.

"People said this about Bo Nix last year," Farrar said. "'Oh, he plays in a spread offense at Oregon.' Disregard anybody who says that. They haven't played that way in years. And like Nix, Gabriel was a great tight-window thrower downfield. "

Farrar sees similarities between Gabriel and Baker Mayfield, who put up solid numbers when healthy during his time in Cleveland, leading them to the playoffs before he was jettisoned in favor of Watson.

"I think in time, Dillon Gabriel can be a functional starter for the Browns in the same way that Baker Mayfield was for them," Farrar said, noting that Mayfield has gone on to make the Browns look silly by finding tons of success over the past two years in Tampa Bay. "I think over time, Gabriel has what it takes."

When it comes to Sanders, Farrar can't help but be concerned about reports that teams weren't impressed with the way he handled their pre-draft meetings.

"I know from all the reports and the people I've talked to around the league who were so concerned that he showed up to all these meetings with teams completely unprepared," Farrar said. "I don't know what you do with that. And I'm not just going off of one or two beat writers...I've talked to people in the league who said that it's even worse than what was reported. He just showed up and thought he had it all aced."

"Teams will ask these quarterbacks when they come in for a meeting, 'Okay, here's the protection, here's the route concept, we're gonna ask you these questions rapid-fire to see if you studied, and apparently, he didn't have the answers for any of it," Farrar continued. "I think Sanders has second-round, third-round physical talent, but unless he changes his modus operandi in that regard, I don't know what you do there."

Farrar wasn't terribly complimentary of Pickett, who is on his third team in as many seasons after lasting just two years in Pittsburgh after the Steelers made him a top-20 pick in 2022.

"Before he was drafted, I said Pickett's floor was Kirk Cousins, and his ceiling was Kirk Cousins," Farrar said. "And then we found out that his basement is Matt Flynn. He's kind of living in the basement."

As most do, Farrar expects Flacco to lead the Browns into the 2025 season with at least a somewhat stable foundation at a position that hasn't had one since he saved their 2023 season and led them to the playoffs.

Past that, he likes Gabriel as a developmental prospect who has what it takes to be a successful starter down the line.

"Flacco is playing out the end of a remarkable career," Farrar said. "I think Kenny Pickett is a career backup. Sanders, there's so much I don't know, so much unproven. But Dillon Gabriel...I think he can be that guy. I think he has the traits and the attributes."

To check out the entire conversation, watch the full episode of BPA here: