A notable football analyst and Ohio native offered up more proof of why the Cleveland Browns absolutely wasted a third-round pick on Dillon Gabriel.NFL fans love a good quarterback controversy. That is why the battle at Browns camp this summer is one of the most intriguing stories in the league. Yet, it is a messy situation that could have been avoided.Cleveland has four QBs in camp. Joe Flacco, the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year, who they let walk in 2024. And then brought back this spring. Former Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, a player they gave up Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-rounder to acquire. And a pair of rookie signal callers in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.They also have Deshaun Watson — and the more than $100 million left on his contract– expected to return during the season. They clearly have too many QBs. And one, if not two, will need to be cut or traded at some point in the next couple of months.While the Browns have suggested they could go into the season with four QBs, that is a silly bluff they will not follow through with in an era where teams often carry just two QBs for games. If they keep three, who will it be? Signs continue to suggest Dillon Gabriel will be the odd man out. And veteran ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit added to that narrative this week.Kirk Herbstreit: ‘My bet is Shedeur makes Browns regular season roster’Credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images“My guess would be that they’ve got to go with a veteran, with Joe Flacco,” Herbstreit told the Escapist. “Camp hasn’t even started, and one thing I read, he (Sanders) looks like he should start. The next thing is, he’s only playing with the younger guys, and he’s still in a developmental role. That’s pretty common for a pick. It takes time to make that adjustment.”“Most teams keep three (QBs). Someone’s going to get cut, and I think it’s going to be based on how things go in camp. If we’re betting on what we think Shedeur will do, my bet is he makes the team. But he’s in a backup role,” Herbstreit added.Flacco is the favorite to open the season as the QB1. If he — as well as many other analysts — believes Sanders makes the team, that leaves one spot for either Gabriel or Pickett. Many around the league think the three-year veteran didn’t get a fair shake in Pittsburgh and could be a dark horse in Browns camp. Furthermore, Cleveland gave up some solid assets to get him this spring.It is a very real possibility that Pickett gets moved to a QB-needy team before the season starts. Even if he did, Watson will return and bump somebody from the depth chart. Which again puts Gabriel in the crosshairs. The team is unlikely to outright cut him. But even if he is moved to the practice squad, he remains a huge wasted opportunity by the front office with a valuable third-round pick in April.
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