Cleveland Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel spoke up about dealing with scrutiny after being drafted alongside fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, noting how it negatively affects the team.
Last month, the Browns drafted Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round with the 94th overall pick. In the fifth round, they selected Sanders out of Colorado with the 144th pick, adding depth to their quarterback lineup.
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With much media attention focusing on Sanders, Gabriel spoke at Browns rookie minicamp on Saturday about how the comparisons are not healthy for their team dynamic.
“The more questions I get asked like that — it just divides the team,” Gabriel said. “We’re in a room full of, not just us but Kenny [Pickett], Joe [Flacco] and Deshaun [Watson]. For us, we know how important a healthy room is, but also a team that you want to be a part of.
“How do you create an environment every single day where everyone can be at their best? That’s just pushing one another, which talent naturally does. Naturally, it’s healthy. For us, we all do our thing and everyone wins.”
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On Friday, Gabriel got the first reps at quarterback as the Browns ran drills and scrimmages at their facility in Berea, Ohio.
Despite starting second in that order, Browns insider Brad Stainbrook noted that Sanders “looked sharper than Dillon Gabriel.”
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski also noted that the order in camp is not an indicator of where they fall in the depth chart and is subject to change.
“I wouldn’t look into anything,” Stefanski said on Friday. “I think you’ll see the whole weekend, going through the spring. I mean, we don’t pay too close attention to who is in there first.”
