What is the potential for a Dillon Gabriel trade this offseason, and should the Browns move now to test the market?
Dillon Gabriel’s Background and Rookie Season with the Browns
Dillon Gabriel was selected 94th overall (third round) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft and entered the league with moderate expectations after a standout college career at Oregon. At 5’11” and 205 pounds, the 25-year-old brought mobility and accuracy but faced immediate challenges in the NFL, most obviously his size deficiencies.
In his 2025 rookie season, Gabriel appeared in 10 games with 6 starts. Dillon completed 110 of 185 passes (59.5%) for 937 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, posting an 80.8 passer rating. He added 86 rushing yards on 14 carries. His record as a starter was 1-5, with limited flashes of potential but also inconsistency when thrust into the starting role. Shedeur Sanders eventually took over as the primary option late in the season.
2025 Passing & Rushing Stats (Regular Season)
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Games / Starts | 10 / 6 |
| Completions / Attempts | 110 / 185 |
| Completion % | 59.5% |
| Yards / YPA | 937 / 5.1 |
| TD / INT | 7 / 2 |
| Passer Rating | 80.8 |
| Rushing Yards / Avg | 86 / 6.1 |
Stats via Pro Football Reference data (2025 season).
Gabriel remains on his rookie contract (4 years, $6.226 million total), with a modest 2026 cap hit of $1.415 million and low dead money if traded.
Gabriel’s Actual Value to the Browns in 2026
As the 2026 offseason nears, Gabriel sits as the clear QB3 on the Cleveland Browns depth chart behind Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. It’s a realistic possibility that he will be QB4 after the preseason with newly drafted Taylen Green now on the roster, the first quarterback ever selected by new head coach Todd Monken.
His strengths:
- Proven college production
- Mobility as a runner
- Cheap contract with minimal dead cap
- Experience in 10 NFL games, including starts
His limitations:
- Sub-60% completion rate and low yards-per-attempt (5.1)
- Struggled in meaningful action, showing limited starter upside
The Browns’ QB room is now overcrowded with a veteran (Watson), a promising young talent (Sanders), and an athletic rookie (Green), followed by Dillon.
Gabriel projects as a solid developmental backup or, at best, an emergency quarterback. Dillon is not a long-term solution or high-upside starter. The team has repeatedly stated they have no immediate Dillon Gabriel trade plans, but the depth chart math simply doesn’t add up long-term.
Why Cleveland Should Trade Gabriel Now
The 2026 NFL Draft found analysts speculating on Dillon’s departure, and the addition of Taylen Green didn’t do anything to temper those expectations, regardless of what the Browns are publicly saying. Basically, the reasons for moving him far outweigh the reasons for keeping him.
Reasons such as:
Crowded QB Room — With Watson, Sanders, and potentially Green all lining up ahead of him, Gabriel is on a path to be buried on the depth chart.
Maximize Return Before Value Drops — Gabriel’s value is only going to diminish as the offseason wears on, especially if the reporting this summer shows Cleveland getting more reps to Green. Dillon is obviously out of the starter’s chase, so Taylen’s development and how quickly he ascends will make a direct impact on any potential return for Gabriel.
Draft Capital Opportunity — The Browns will never recoup the 3rd round pick they gave up for Dillon, but if they could manage to squeeze a 6th, even if they had to swap their 7th, it would be a return that’s better than a straight cut.
No Future in Cleveland — The simple truth of the situation is that Gabriel has no future in a Browns uniform. Cleveland will either find they have a starter in Shedeur, or they will draft a quarterback to be the future in 2027.
Trading now (pre-training camp or early in the summer) gives the Browns the best chance to recoup any asset while Gabriel still has extremely limited name value from his draft pedigree and college stats.
Dillon Gabriel’s Potential Trade Value
Analysts peg a Dillon Gabriel trade value at roughly a 2027 seventh-round pick—or a conditional late-rounder at best. Making some kind of swap arrangement where Cleveland is giving up a lower pick for a higher pick and throwing in Dillon may be the best-case scenario.
Why the value is low:
- Limited starter success (1-5 record)
- Multiple QBs are already ahead on the Browns’ own roster
- No proven NFL starter traits
However, any draft pick is better than zero, and Gabriel’s cheap contract makes him attractive as a backup or developmental piece for teams needing QB depth without breaking the bank.
Top Potential Trade Partners for Dillon Gabriel
Few teams have been directly linked or speculated to have interest:
Atlanta Falcons (Strongest Fit)
Head coach Kevin Stefanski may have been the biggest advocate in the room when the Browns drafted Gabriel. Considering both Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa are both left-handed passers, adding a third option on the depth chart that slings it southpaw makes some logical sense.
Miami Dolphins (Emerging Option)
With new management and a new coaching staff, the Dolphins have no strong ties remaining to Quinn Ewers. Miami signed Malik Willis to start and has only Cam Miller on the roster behind Ewers, giving Gabriel a clear path to work his way up to QB2.
Washington Commanders
This would be about making sure the 3rd quarterback is a viable mobile option behind franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels and QB2 Marcus Mariota.
Other teams needing QB insurance (e.g., those with injury-prone starters or thin depth charts) could emerge during training camp, but the Falcons lead current speculation.
The Last Word on a Dillon Gabriel Trade
The trading of Dillon Gabriel likely should have occurred immediately following the drafting of Taylen Green, perhaps even in the 7th round of the 2026 draft. There is simply no future in Cleveland for Dillon, and every day he remains on the roster, his value will diminish. Getting the Falcons to give up a 5th or a 6th round pick in exchange for Dillon Gabriel and a 6th or 7th should be something the Browns pull the trigger on immediately.
Any reps that Dillon takes over Taylen Green will be wasted. The most obvious path for the Browns is to get Taylen as many snaps as possible to assess his value, so moving Gabriel off the roster clearly has the most upside.
