DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum What If?

I think that's a given. We will never win more than 1 game in those first 6. the Miami game was always the first for one of the rookies

I can see those records as real possibilities. What we need is to field some folks who can catch the ball, another who can kick instead of cutting our throats. Flacco gave us enough to win. I heard it said before, that coaches and QB's are similar in how fans treat them and the team's record: they get way too much credit for the wins and way too much blame for the losses.
I do not have the "Then what" reaction that you lay out. Changing from a proven vet to two unproven records of rookies isn't the fix for Sunday's loss. We played Watson too long so we "could see what we really had" and it wasn't enough. And we plugged other QB's in and let them fail the team regularly.
I am not that curious. Fix ST play, use JF better than this play caller did. To let rookies force changes and declare our "mission is clear" is poor judgment, and it is not my mission. What is good enough to let Flacco perform? Injury? Sure. Sounds like an agenda to play a rookie you like. I prefer to keep an eye on our performance rather than digging for changing QB's. We obviously see this differently. If the subs fail, "what then"? No guarantee they will perform in a superior way.

I think it depends far more on the development of DG than the record. We saw him play against backups, not starters. The speed of the game is different. I advocate you make a change at QB according to the play of the QB. If Flacco is still playing like he did this past Sunday I think it would be foolish to pull him from the starting line up.

That being said I don't think at his age Flacco will be able to play solid for a 17 game season. I think the point will come that it will be the right call to start DG. When that point comes should be decided by the play of Flacco. I think a QB should lose their starting position based on their play not have it taken from them due to no fault of their own.

Our bye is Week 9. If we want to see DG during the season, I wouldn't want him in until he gets extended practice reps.

I'll also go back to something I mentioned in another thread. If our offense hasn't established any sort of identity by the end of week 8, I'm not sure how much good it will do to throw a rookie QB into the mix. If our run game is still sputtering after Judkins gets up and running, or worse, if starting Oline start going down then I would be REALLY hesitant putting one of our rookies out there as it's essentially using them as cannon fodder.

Dillon Gabriel is not a starter level QB in the NFL. If this scenario plays out the Browns need to fire both Berry and Stefanski and promote Jim Schwartz to head coach.

Ok wait and see then. He was projected to be a 6th round pick that was reached for. But you think he can be Tom Brady. Well see!!!

First nobody made anything close to the claim he can be the next Tom Brady. That's just something you made up.

Secondly you claim he was "projected to be a sixth round draft pick". Which is true. But that was by people who don't have a job in the NFL. You know, the very same people who "projected" Sanders would be a first round pick.

You may wish to think about how wrong they were about Sanders before you pretend those same people have credibility in regards to DG.

I don't think Sanders plays any part in the equation as of now. More of a project that may or may not reach being an NFL QB. That can change if he develops over time. If both Flacco and DG were injured it wouldn't surprise me if the Browns quickly signed someone on the couch to start the same way they did Flacco.

Exactly. Miami to me has always been the game where it makes the most sense to turn it over to Gabriel.

Haslam has even said as much about both rookies playing:

However, Haslam made it clear during his camp conversation he believes it's important that the rookies be evaluated in a game situation. That's especially true with the looming 2026 draft question.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," Haslam said. "But, I mean, Kevin is aware of that. He knows how important quarterback is, and he and Andrew talk about those kinds of things all the time. It’s a daily ongoing conversation."

I think he made it clear they needed to play this season at some point. At what point was never clarified.

I think we will be 1-5 or 0-6 after those games. Losing Sunday the way we did really hurt our chances. Tough game this week and the 3 NFC North teams we play in this stretch we never beat. Our Lifetime records against them is atrocious. At some point we have to see what we have in Dillon or Shadeur so we can make prudent decisions for the future. Now, if by some miracle we manage to win at least 3 games in that stretch then I would stay with Joe because we'd be in the playoff hunt.

I think we'll be 2-4, maybe 3-3. I think our defense is going to keep us in all the games. The offense will sputter. But regardless if we're 0-6 or 3-3, I actually think we'll see Gabriel in the 1st half of the season if for no other reason than I bet Joe is going to get hurt at some point. He's 40 and someone on the line in front of him is going to get hurt at some point. Plus, a big part of this season is seeing what we've got before next draft. I think that's going to become increasingly front-brain as the season continues. 6 games and you're already 1/3 of the way into the season. They absolutely must get one or both of those guys into real games at some point during the season.

I'm not going to predict how the rookies will do but I personally think Gabriel is likely going to do better earlier than Sanders would and I think Ski likes his head-set and experience better. He's #2 on the depth chart for a reason regardless of what folks on a chat board believe. Sanders may or may not have a higher ceiling but Gabriel's coming off the bench 1st. Won't be one bit surprised if that's the Miami game regardless of record.

I think once Judkins starts playing the offense will change dramatically when we can actually run the ball again. Then those deeper passes will open up and all this dink and dunk should ease up a bit. Kevin needs to let Joe rip some balls down field. If all he is going to do is dink and dunk no matter what then might as well let DG play now. I am not going to panic unless we lose week three though. I don't feel it's realistic to beat Baltimore because their QB can just about beat the Browns all on his own.

Still it would be sweet if the Browns beat the Ravens and shoved their celebration over stealing our team a giant middle finger. May Model burn forever ...

If the Browns start 0-6 or 1-5 and Flacco the only real NFL QB on the team is benched Stefanski and Berry needs fired and just promote Jim Schwartz. I would rather see DeShawn Watson again this year than Gabriel or Sanders.

Your comment that he was projected as a 6th round pick made me look up old draft projections. 6th round seemed like a big stretch compared to my memory. I'm not saying the Browns didn't overdraft him, but can you share a site that had him in round 6?

I searched and found 5 draft sites, all but two had him projected as a 4th rounder, the last 2 rated him as 4th or 5th round. These were legit sites, like SI, NFL, Draft Buzz, Bleacher Report & PFF.

It's water under the bridge now, but exaggeration such as this seems like it's agenda driven.

You people pushing for Gabriel to play must have really enjoyed watching DTR play last season. Gabriel is too short, too small, and to weak armed to amount to anything in the NFL. It was a terrible pick when it was made and it will be a worse pick when/if he has to play. Should have kept Pickett.

Watson will start

Ok we will wait to see him become Tom Brady then. I just don't see it ever!!!

RAZOR! Good to see you, Dawg,

Years ago, I wrote a limerick. Its wording was a bit different back then, because it was penned while Art Model was still alive.
I'll share with you, my revised version:

"I believe (as my friends all know well)
There exists both a Heaven and hell.
And I'm sure there's a spot
In that place that is hot
That's now home to that ass**** Modell.

Rest in pieces, Art.

The problem, at least if we conduct practice as normally happens during the season, DG won't get many reps. As I understand it, the back-up only gets 8-9 reps per practice.

That said, we might ramp those up some as we get a little deeper in to the season. Joe is a seasoned vet and at the age where a little extra rest will only do him some good.

Being the forever optimist, We could at that point still go 11-6 or 10-7. I mean if Joe isn't the problem, I don't see KS changing anything.,

Now, if we are sitting at 8 losses early on, Yeah, why not see what we have with the other two guys. Just to see!

I agree. He might become as good as Tom Brady, but probably not. But until you actually play the guy who knows how good or bad he will eventually become?

Joe knows the score here. He knows that we will eventually phase in DG. I think it could happen by week 4 or 5. Not so much to start, but when we get in to the 4th qtr of games are are down by 17, put him in.

Bro, I apologize if it seems like I’m trying to bag on you, because I’m not. But between Gabriel and Judkins, it seems like you have your mind made up when the rest of us are all just trying to say “Why don’t we give these guys a chance before we draw a conclusion?”

It's silly to project ANY rookie QB to be the next Tom Brady...I don't care if it's the first pick or last. Hell...Tom Brady wasn't Tom Brady when HE was drafted.

You obviously haven't watched any film on Gabriel. He has plenty of arm strength. And you obviously haven't bothered reading the thread as per usual. I stated plainly that I don't think Gabriel should be handed the job. That as long as Flacco is playing well he will have earned the right to continue as the starter. That he shouldn't have the job taken from him if he is playing well.

Also in the thread it was shown that it's Haslam and Berry who have told Stefanski that the rookies need to play this year, not us. The actual question being discussed in this thread is when, not if.

You're welcome.