Dillon Gabriel is not having a great preseason training camp, with the Cleveland quarterback struggling to find receivers in his reps. On Day 8 of the camp, he completed three out of 14 passes, threw an interception, but couldn’t find the end zone.
Some are putting this down to Gabriel’s height of 5’11”. Reports suggest that he’s having a hard time looking beyond the pocket. However, quarterback coach Quincy Avery replied to a report on X about Gabriel’s struggles, saying height has nothing to do with them.
“I just want to be super clear in saying NO QB can see over the on line. I do not care what height you are. Unless you are 6’8 it’s a silly thought,” Avery wrote on X.
I just want to be super clear in saying NO QB can see over the on line. I do not care what height you are. Unless you are 6’8 it’s a silly thought. https://t.co/lU3HRFnBq9
— Quincy Avery (@QuincyAvery) August 4, 2025
While he kept on debating with fans in the replies of his tweet, Avery maintained that visibility is a problem for quarterbacks of almost any height and that a few inches don’t make a big difference in their ability to see beyond the pocket.
Analyst lambasts the Cleveland Browns for putting Dillon Gabriel in a difficult spot
Analyst Daryl Ruiter has another explanation for why Dillon Gabriel is struggling at the training camp.
The Browns are setting up first-round expectations on a third-rounder. Talking over the weekend on 92.3 The Fan, Ruiter said:
“They’re putting him in a bad spot. You’re forcing me to evaluate this kid like he’s a first-round pick—he’s not. He’s a 3rd-round pick. It’s clear that you’re trying to prepare him to play this year, and I think that it is a grave mistake. He’s not ready for it. I am evaluating him not as a third-round pick, I’m evaluating him as a guy who they’re giving first-team reps right out of the gate. Every day, this guy is first up. Occasionally, it’s Joe Flacco, but every day, it’s Dillon Gabriel first up. Why?”
“They’re putting him in a bad spot. You’re forcing me to evaluate this kid like he’s a 1st-round pick. He’s a 3rd-round pick. It’s clear that you’re trying to prepare him to play”
🚨@RuiterWrongFAN to @NickPedone12 on #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel
🔊Listen: https://t.co/9LTb8vvum0 pic.twitter.com/9RQJf8Cxfu
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 3, 2025
With Deshaun Watson potentially not playing any kind of role in 2025 due to injury, Kenny Pickett dealing with a hamstring injury, and Shedeur Sanders struggling with soreness, the extremely crowded Browns quarterback room seems to be down to veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel. And for some reason, possibly to protect a significantly older Flacco, Gabriel is the one taking the majority of snaps.
That could be at an end, however, as Gabriel was limited during Day 10 of training camp this Monday due to a sore hamstring.
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