Dillon Gabriel delivered his honest take on the Cleveland Browns trading Joe Flacco and the impact it will have on the quarterback room.
The Browns sent Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski called the trade within the division “surprising.”
“The Joe trade took us by surprise,” Stefanski said. “That was not something that we saw coming. They called us and it happened very fast and happened not too long ago.”
Flacco served as a steady veteran in a quarterback room with two rookie quarterbacks. He was the starter to open the season, going 1-3 before being replaced by Gabriel. The rookie said observing Flacco day-to-day helped him transition to being a pro.
“It’s not just one thing. I wouldn’t want to limit it to that. I think overall, his process and how he’s been about his business from Day 1,” Gabriel said. “How he approaches meetings, practice and taking care of his body. His daily routine. You pick up on that as you’re around people and try to make it your own. More importantly, the friendship and the person he is. Although there’s an age gap, just being able to connect and have those conversations, I appreciated it a lot.”
Dillon Gabriel Says Dynamic ‘Evolving’ in Browns QB Room
The Browns started training camp with two established veterans in Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Just five weeks into the season, the quarterback room is now headlined by Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Bailey Zappe is also in the mix on the practice squad and Deshaun Watson continues to be a presence as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
“Dynamic is always evolving, especially when there is change. But I think it goes back to us having the experience ourselves. You learn the best when you’re thrown into the fire a bit,” Gabriel said. “The more experience you gain — game after game, week after week — you’ll get better. And (Zappe) has played a bunch of ball as well.”
Gabriel made his first start last week in London against the Minnesota Vikings. He passed for 190 yards and two touchdowns and was serviceable in the 21-17 loss. However, the Browns still lacked explosive plays in the passing game. Gabriel completed 19 passes and most of those were short completions to running backs or tight ends.
Browns Undecided if Shedeur Sanders Will Be Backup
The Browns have yet to make an official decision on who will back up Gabriel. Sanders was the No. 2 quarterback on the unofficial depth chart released on Tuesday but Stefanski said he’s still working through it.
“Still working through all roster type of things. I always have to be mindful of our players and our players’ development and I want to make sure that I’m always doing what’s best for our players and, of course, our team,” Stefanski said. “But with young players, I’m always thinking about, last week making the change to Dillon, you have to think long and hard about that because these are young players that you’re so invested in their development. So I’ll let the week play out and make a decision later on that.”
Pro Bowler Denzel Ward has been impressed by both Gabriel and Sanders, expressing confidence in the rookies.
“I think both those guys are ready,” Ward said. “I think those are two guys capable of being the No. 1 quarterback.”
The Browns face the Pittsburgh Steelers this week on the road. Cleveland is a 6.5-point underdog.
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