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Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel has not been around the team facility.
Shedeur Sanders has made sure his presence is impossible to ignore inside the Cleveland Browns’ facility this offseason — something that hasn’t gone unnoticed as the team prepares for an open quarterback competition.
While Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson have largely stayed out of sight, Sanders has consistently been in the building, putting himself front and center ahead of a pivotal offseason. Head coach Todd Monken acknowledged that approach, emphasizing the tone Sanders is setting early.
“It’s too early to really evaluate him other than it’s been great that he’s been in the building,” Monken said. “It’s refreshing to see a player that recognizes where he’s at and where he wants to get to.”
When asked about Gabriel’s presence, Monken offered a much different response.
“As far as I know, he has not,” Monken said. “I have not seen Dillon yet.”
Ultimately, reps, performance and command of the offense will decide the job. But in a wide-open battle, offseason presence can quietly tilt the starting line.
Shedeur Sanders Emerging as Early Frontrunner
Sanders is operating like a player intent on taking control of the job. According to ESPN’s Peter Schrager, that visibility could be shaping the early perception of the competition.
“Deshaun Watson Monken has spoken to, but he hasn’t been around as much. Shedeur Sanders has been there every single day. Then Dillon Gabriel hasn’t been there,” Schrager said on The Pat McAfee Show. “They can’t play football yet, but they can be in the building and work out. If I were to put a bet in right now, Shedeur is likely in the lead spot.”
The other thing working in Sanders’ favor is that he finished last year as the starting quarterback. While Monken has dubbed it an open competition, he made clear that the reps might not be equally distributed.
“I don’t anticipate them being divided evenly,” Monken said. “I wouldn’t say they’re going to be evenly dispersed, but we’ll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to at least evaluate who we have on the roster, whoever that might be as we go through the offseason.
Browns Still Weighing QB Options
Cleveland isn’t closing the door on adding another quarterback, either. General manager Andrew Berry said the team would “lean younger” if it adds to the room, likely pointing toward the draft. However, Schrager doesn’t expect the Browns to use a premium pick on the position.
“I don’t envision them taking a quarterback at No. 6,” Schrager said. “And despite Monken knowing Ty Simpson very well… I don’t think they’ll go quarterback in the first round.”
Sanders presents the most logical path forward. He’s on a cheap rookie deal and has shown some significant upside. However, the Browns are not shutting the door on Watson, who has Pro Bowls on his resume and is returning after an entire year on the sidelines while recovering from two Achilles surgeries.
“Certainly, time horizon factors into that, but just with any veteran player, there’s no rule against extending the player’s contract if they perform and they do well,” Berry said. “So I wouldn’t necessarily box it into any one approach. It really will be performance-based.”
The Browns are expected to start the voluntary part of their offseason workouts in early April.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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