Heading toward the 2026 NFL Draft, it was thought that if the Cleveland Browns did select a quarterback, that would likely be bad news for Dillon Gabriel. However, the Browns passed on some potential 2026 backups and waited until the sixth round to add Taylen Green, who is seen as more of a dual-threat project.
Green’s lack of a traditional role may keep Gabriel in the Browns’ plans for this season, particularly as a backup depending on how the competition with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders plays out. However, roster spots may be too valuable for Cleveland to carry four quarterbacks.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox has identified the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as two potential suitors for Gabriel if the Browns plan to trade him.
“A year after drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns drafted another quarterback in Arkansas’ Taylen Green. The raw but talented dual-threat quarterback is an intriguing backup option for Todd Monken’s offense. With Deshaun Watson also in Cleveland’s quarterback room — and set to cost $45 million whether he’s on the roster or not — one of the Browns’ second-year signal-callers will likely be out. Our money is on Gabriel, a 5-foot-11 pocket passer who was a better fit for former head coach Kevin Stefanski than for the current offense,” Knox wrote.
The connection to Atlanta is obvious, as that is where former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski found his new job. Stefanski was seen as Gabriel’s biggest advocate in Cleveland, and if he truly believes in the third-round pick’s potential, as he seemed to when he named him the Browns’ starting QB ahead of Sanders when Joe Flacco was benched last season, a reunion makes perfect sense.
The Falcons did add quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this offseason to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job, while moving on from Kirk Cousins. Interestingly, Tagovailoa and Penix also throw left-handed, so no adjustments would have to be made to that offense to accommodate Gabriel.
The Buccaneers provide an interesting scenario as well, as former Browns No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield is their starting quarterback. Mayfield had something of a verbal spat with Stefanski last season over the way he was treated in Cleveland, so perhaps he and Gabriel could commiserate about their experience, while battling Jake Browning for the backup role.
With the idea of Green being active on game days to run some gadget plays as a rookie being bandied about, Gabriel’s future in Cleveland could be in doubt if either Sanders or Watson is willing and able to be the backup to the other.
NEXT: Bernie Kosar Posts Concerning Health Update
