Cleveland Browns Could Trade Dillon Gabriel Or Shedeur Sanders Says NFL Insider

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel is at the center of an intriguing quarterback storyline for the Cleveland Browns this offseason after the team selected him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Joined by Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel will be battling for the starting job headed into the regular season as the Browns once again attempt to find an answer at quarterback

However, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said recently on an appearance with ESPN Cleveland radio that he doesn't expect the Browns to keep all four quarterbacks on the roster headed into the season, potentially trading one away instead of holding a fourth passer on the roster. Fowler didn't rule out the possibility that either Gabriel or Sanders could be dealt if the Browns elect to go the trade route.

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"I still think they look at quarterback pieces like currency and value, so if somebody goes down, if there's an injury in training camp, they have somebody they could potentially trade," Fowler said. "Maybe it's Pickett, maybe it's one of the rookies, but I could see that sort of maneuvering. I have a hard time thinking they keep four on the roster. I think it might be three, and then you can try to practice squad a player or you can try to swing a trade."

If the Browns do end up trading a quarterback, it feels likely that it will either be Pickett or Flacco if one or both lose the position battle. Both players bring veteran value to the table in a potential trade and keeping the two of them along with the rookies would crowd the room, leaving either Gabriel or Sanders with little chance to see playing time next season.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, left, chats with rookie Shedeur Sanders during an NFL practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Sanders is the odd man out at No. 4 on the depth chart, it simply wouldn't be good for ratings to throw him on the practice squad, and the Browns know this. Should Cleveland trade one of the other three quarterbacks, expect to see Sanders on the 53-man roster, even if that means riding the bench the whole season.

Trading either of the rookies seems less likely. The Browns still don't quite know what they have in Sanders or Gabriel and should wait until proven otherwise that there's a chance at some magic.

The Browns begin the preseason Aug. 8 on the road against the Carolina Panthers before matchups at the Philadelphia Eagles (Aug. 16) and home against the Los Angeles Rams (Aug. 23), giving potentially all four quarterbacks a chance at winning the job. Training camp will also give coaches a strong indication of who will be QB1 but Sanders and Gabriel could turn things up a notch when the lights get bright in preseason.

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