Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders focused on making steady improvement at Browns minicamp

New York Times

3 days ago

BEREA, Ohio — Tuesday's practice was for the rookies, as the Cleveland Browns opened their mandatory minicamp and moved to the next phase of their four-man quarterback competition.
Joe Flacco, the old man of the group at 40 years old and 17 seasons of experience, took no reps in competitive drills. Kenny Pickett, who turned 27 last week, was first in the warmup lines and first up in the late-practice red zone drill. But rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders got most of the passing work, and Gabriel was first up when the Browns' first-team offensive and defensive units took the field for the first 11-on-11 work of minicamp.
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The Browns drafted Gabriel in the third round in April and took Sanders 50 picks later in the fifth round. Though the total number of reps the rookies have taken in previous practices open to reporters was close to equal, Sanders has worked only with backups, while Gabriel has mixed in with the starters both in organized team activities and now in full-squad minicamp.
As he's done since rookie minicamp in May, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski continues to stress development and teaching points over actual evaluation at this stage of the competition. Sanders told reporters Tuesday that he's not worried about his current place in line.
day one done ✅ pic.twitter.com/3rs5id3Xgq
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 10, 2025
'My goal is to be the best teammate and to be as prepared as I can be,' Sanders said. 'So in every aspect I view things as I've got time — time to be able to grow and mature and be able to understand the ins and outs of defenses, be able to get the good insight from the vets in the (quarterback) room.
'I look at it as a plus. I've got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding of things, and whenever it is time for me to play, then it's time for me to play. But I'm not looking too far into the future about all that. I'm looking at every day in practice. I had some misses out there today that we've got to go in there and correct — reads, getting in and out of drops a little bit faster from under center. So that's the main thing. I'm focused on the small things, and over time, the big things will happen.'
Whether Flacco mostly serving as an on-field mentor is a sign that he's leading the competition is open to interpretation. The same goes for just about every other aspect of things.
Though the Browns splitting two groups on different practice fields to maximize reps and using linemen in 7-on-7 drills to simulate a crowded pocket has made spring practices at least a little bit unconventional, they're still spring practices. Three quarterbacks are new to the team, and Flacco is returning from a year in Indianapolis following his magical December 2023 run with Cleveland.
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'Just trying to be intentional about everything,' Stefanski said. 'Certainly, Joe had fewer reps today. That's obviously on purpose, and just trying to find out, get as much of an evaluation on the guys as we can.
'I'm pleased with all the young guys and their development. There's a lot that goes into this, and these guys work extremely hard. There are things in the NFL game that are just different. I think all these guys are making really good progress.'
Gabriel was a bit erratic early in Tuesday's practice, but he was more accurate with his throws as the session went on. Gabriel's highlight throw came on a well-placed corner route to Jamari Thrash in a red zone 7-on-7 drill, while Sanders' best throw was probably his first: a deep ball over the middle to Gage Larvadain in the team's early 7-on-7 session.
in stride and on time ⌚️ @ShedeurSanders pic.twitter.com/1Jb9pBKeGl
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 10, 2025
'Practice is no different than normal — what we grew up doing and what we did in college,' Sanders said. 'I just feel like I'm back in my element. It's fresh grass, you hear the birds outside, you understand what peace is at this point in life. So I'm back in my element. I'm excited to be here.
'Of course, I feel more comfortable here (now). I would say it is just a mindset, just an adjustment. You've got to go and understand the situation that you're in and be able to approach that and get the best out of it. There's no excuses, because when you get out there, nobody cares how many reps you got whenever you get in the game. Nobody cares if you took a snap before. Everybody cares about production. So that's the main thing when you get out there, you've got to be able to produce.'
Gabriel and Sanders said they've relied on Flacco for advice on reading defenses and mastering the playbook. They've both stressed that the quarterback room is more fun than it is competitive, and that all four passers enjoy the process of installing and learning the offense.
'I think for the most part, it's more getting (Flacco and Pickett's) experiences, whether it's a certain concept or what they've done in the past, just as part of a daily routine,' Gabriel said. 'But it's also just shooting the s— and just being the guys, because I think that's when you're able to just connect in the most authentic way.'
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Gabriel said his focus remains on 'continuous improvement' and that he's learning 'every single day.' As the Browns conclude minicamp with practices Wednesday and Thursday, Sanders said his approach remains similar.
'I know every day there's room for improvement in a lot of different areas in my game,' Sanders said. 'So I never feel full. I would say I'm always hungry, and there's a lot of aspects in football that I could get better at.
'It's the weight room. It's knowing the plays. It's physically … throwing different, trying to always get more precise with things. So I feel like I put in my day's work, but I know I'm far from where I want to be.'