Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Dillon Gabriel

Monday, May 19, 10:25 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) has been throwing to receivers Jerry Jeudy and David Bell at the team's facility and has been out of his walking boot for several weeks, a league source told The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot. However, Watson is not part of the offseason QB competition among Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The 29-year-old Watson had a second surgery on his Achilles back on Jan. 9 and is not expected to be ready to play at the start of the 2025 season this fall. In fact, he's widely expected to miss all of the 2025 campaign, with many believing that he's already played his last game for the Browns. Still, Watson has made "excellent progress" in his recovery from a torn right Achilles that he suffered last season. But given his injury and his off-field drama, Watson's NFL future remains very murky.

Wednesday, June 11, 12:32 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was first up in team drills at mandatory minicamp for the second straight day on Wednesday and is going up against the first-team defense, according to The Chronicle Telegram's Scott Petrak. Fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into the Browns QB reps during offseason workouts, as head coach Kevin Stefanski said that rookies Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will probably require more reps as they get acclimated to the NFL game. The Browns are conducting an open competition at QB, but the expectation is that it will come down to either veteran Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett. Gabriel, 24, stands at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds and could open the year as the No. 3 ahead of Sanders. He has plenty of experience playing for three different teams in college in addition to a strong arm and a good feel in the pocket. He's strictly a dynasty/keeper stash in 2025.