The Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons already have more than enough on their plates with what pertains to their quarterback situation.
The Browns will roll with Deshaun Watson after an underwhelming competition, whereas the Falcons have yet to name a starter.
Considering that, and given Kevin Stefanski’s ties to his former team, Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox proposed a move that would send Tua Tagovailoa to Berea.
In an article titled “Bold trade predictions before the 2026 NFL season kicks off,” he had the Browns sending Dillon Gabriel to Atlanta for Tagovailoa and a conditional 2027 first-round pick.
The Browns and Falcons could help each other, but with some drama
“Atlanta also has Cooper Rush and undrafted free agent Jack Strand in its quarterback room. However, Tagovailoa and Penix are most likely the only quarterbacks that the new regime views as potential long-term options. If they fail to impress, the Falcons will probably begin evaluating 2027 QB prospects,” wrote Knox. “Along the way, the Falcons could look to add another potential bridge quarterback by trading for Cleveland Browns third-stringer Dillon Gabriel.”
On the surface, this makes sense. The Browns clearly don’t think Shedeur Sanders is ready; otherwise, they wouldn’t even consider starting Watson.
They would bring another veteran and proven quarterback to the fold with Tagovailoa’s arrival.
As for Gabriel, Stefanski was always high on him, and while he won’t start over Michael Penix Jr., he’s already familiar with the offense and would give them a plug-and-play backup for an injury-prone quarterback.
Also, he’s clearly the odd man out in Cleveland, and he’d welcome a fresh start.
That said, this might not be worth all the tabloids. The Browns are already a P.R. nightmare with Shedeur’s fan base, and adding yet another signal-caller to the mix would make social media explode.
Moreover, as bad as Watson has been, Tagovailoa looked unplayable in the preseason; he can’t push the ball downfield.
Getting a conditional pick would sweeten the deal, but they’d probably be forced to start Tagovailoa. If they’re in that position, they might as well roll with Shedeur (or even Taylen Green) instead.
The only way to do this would be as a solid for Gabriel. That said, given all the unnecessary drama, it would probably be better to just release him.
This content was brought to you by: Yardbarker: NFL
