Early reports from Browns training camp indicate that Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have been evenly splitting first-team reps, while rookie Dillon Gabriel has received limited opportunities with the starters.
Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders got second-team snaps during Saturday’s practice but has not seen first-unit action yet.
The evaluation process will intensify once full pads arrive on Monday.
Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave recently spoke with Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot about assessing all four signal callers under more physical conditions.
Musgrave also revealed a pleasant surprise regarding Gabriel’s development in one specific area.
“He noted that Gabriel has been surprisingly good at play-action,” Cabot wrote.
“He’s done a really super job, especially the under center play-faking and the footwork,” Musgrave said. “He’s remarkably clean being asked to do those type of techniques.”
Gabriel appears to be handling his transition well so far. The jump from college remains challenging for any quarterback, regardless of draft status.
NFL defenses present more complex alignments and disguises than anything rookies faced in college.
Moreover, NFL coordinators often study opposing quarterbacks more thoroughly than the players study themselves.
Despite these obstacles, Gabriel has managed the steep learning curve effectively.
His continued development could reshape Cleveland’s quarterback room heading into the regular season.
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