CLEVELAND, Ohio — The latest episode of Orange and Brown Talk podcast delivered a fascinating glimpse into the Browns’ rookie quarterback competition, with hosts Lance Reisland and Dan Labbe finding themselves on opposite sides of the debate after watching minicamp.
What makes this evaluation particularly compelling is how differently two experienced analysts can view the exact same performances. Reisland slightly favored Gabriel, while Labbe gave the edge to Sanders – highlighting just how subjective early quarterback evaluations can be.
Reisland explained on the podcast: “I thought for myself, I thought Gabriel was a little bit better than Sanders, and people have it the other way, too. I think Dillon Gabriel is really polished in his drops. I think he’s very polished with his throwing motion.”
Labbe countered with his own assessment: “I thought Shedeur came out of those two days... slightly ahead of Dillon Gabriel.”
What emerges from their discussion isn’t just a disagreement about performance but a fascinating contrast in quarterback styles. Gabriel appears to be the safer, more technically refined prospect, while Sanders brings a big-play mentality that could be either his greatest strength or potential downfall.
Labbe observed: “I felt like Dillon was a little safer. I felt like he kind of tended to take more of what was there as opposed to Shedeur. He’s a big play Hunter, which I, I mean, I like that. I like my quarterback to be a little bit of an explosive play Hunter. And Shedeur is definitely... He’s got that in him sometimes to a fault.”
Reisland acknowledged Sanders’ explosive potential while highlighting concerns: “My concern with Shedeur will be his footwork and his footwork with his arm talent.”
This stylistic contrast creates an intriguing dynamic for the Browns. Gabriel’s approach might align better with a team featuring a strong defense and running game, where limiting mistakes becomes paramount. Sanders’ aggressive downfield hunting could unlock explosive elements in the offense but potentially lead to more negative plays.
The podcast conversation underscores how limited these early evaluations actually are. Without live pass rushing, real contact, or facing top defenders, many of the key questions about both quarterbacks remain unanswered.
Reisland emphasized: “When pads go on, as I mentioned in one of my posts, when pads go on, that’s when they really separate themselves. Because when live things are flying out around them and they gotta, they got to take a big hit and then come back and make a big read and do all those kind of things that NFL quarterbacks got to do, the cream will rise to the top there, without question.”
Labbe’s concerns about Sanders highlight this limitation: “My concerns with Shedeur are things that are not going to show up in seven on seven and even in like, team drills against a bunch of tryout guys and, and rookies... my concerns with Shedeur probably aren’t going to be answered until we get to see him play real football.”
As the quarterback competition progresses through OTAs and into training camp, fans should heed the podcast’s implicit warning about overreacting to early reports. The true test will come when the pads go on, the pass rush is live, and these young quarterbacks must demonstrate their abilities under genuine pressure.
Want the full breakdown of this fascinating rookie QB battle? Listen to the complete Orange and Brown Talk podcast episode for more in-depth analysis from Lance Reisland and Dan Labbe on what makes Gabriel’s polish and Sanders’ big-play ability such an intriguing contrast.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.