The Cleveland Browns went from one questionable quarterback situation before the draft to a different kind of questionable situation after.
The Browns and general manager Andrew Berry selected two signal callers in the selection show earlier this month, adding Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to a room that already has Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and the injured Deshaun Watson.
Advertisement
Flacco is the presumed starter, and at 40 years old, has plenty of experience. But he’s not the future. Berry and the Browns hope either Gabriel, Sanders or even Pickett can step up to be the quarterback of the future.
One former Browns quarterback thinks Gabriel shows a lot of similarities to a guy who’s had some success in the NFL, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.
“He’s got a lot of similarities to a player like Tua [Tagovailoa],” NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said. “Not only a lefty, but the ball distribution, the anticipation, layering throws over guys… I don’t think Gabriel is a guy that people should overlook. He’s a really talented thrower.”
When Tua was still at Alabama, his NFL.com draft profile described his accuracy.
Advertisement
“He has the release, accuracy and touch needed to work all three levels successfully and can become a more disciplined, full-field reader to piece the puzzle together against NFL coverages,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “He needs better poise when pressured, but his escapability not only moves the chains, it creates chunk plays in the air and on the ground.”
Compare that with what he wrote prior to this year’s draft about Gabriel’s “lack of arm talent.”
“His field vision is average, but he typically takes care of the football. He’s capable of playing within the confines of an offense and can create yards with his legs as needed. Gabriel’s accuracy and timing is accurate on shorter throws, but the placement becomes erratic when pushed outside of his comfortable range. He might require a ball-control passing game to help manage his lack of arm talent and keep him from throwing into closing windows.”
It sounds like the only thing that Gabriel and Tua have in common is which arm they throw the ball with. But sometimes these things have a way of working themselves out and Gabriel might very well turn into the guy the Browns need him to.
Related: Browns Address How Shedeur Questions Could ‘Divide’ the Team
Related: Shedeur The Best Player At Browns Camp Per Shady Report