"They liked him a ton" - Ex-Packers QB claims Dillon Gabriel to Dolphins trade could be in the books by end of preseason

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert believes the Miami Dolphins may make a trade for a rookie quarterback.

The Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers, and Brett Gabbert on the roster heading into training camp. However, Benkert believes if Dillon Gabriel doesn't win a roster spot with the Cleveland Browns, Miami may make a trade to acquire him.

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"I wouldn’t be shocked to see the #Dolphins trade for #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel at the end of preseason," Benkert wrote. "They liked him a ton and saw him as an incredible scheme fit with athletic upside and were going to take him a few picks later, but then the Browns drafted him (per source). The Dolphins traded that pick away after Gabriel was no longer available."

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Gabriel was selected in the third round by the Browns and is competing with Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders for a roster spot.

So, if Gabriel can't beat any of them out, Cleveland will likely look to trade the quarterback to get an asset back, and Benkert believes Miami will be very interested.

Gabriel is a lefty like Tagovailoa and can be Miami's development quarterback. At Oregon last season, Gabriel went 326-for-447 for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions as he led the Ducks to a Big Ten title.

Dolphins praise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

Although Kurt Benkert believes that Miami may try and trade for Gabriel, Tua Tagovailoa remains the team's starter.

Tagovaiola is entering his sixth year in Miami, and offensive tackle Austin Jackson believes the QB is coming into his own.

"Very valuable. Tua in Year 6, he’s definitely a lot more confident and decisive on and off the field," Jackson said, via DolphinsWire. "He knows what people are supposed to be doing in terms of training. He knows what we’re doing on the field.

"He knows how to take care of his body. He knows how to unite guys, bring us together for team camaraderie and stuff, just to get together. He’s a full-blown leader, and I think he’s showing that he wants to take control of this team and he is," Jackson said.

If Miami is going to get back into the playoffs, Tagovailoa will have to be a key reason why. They open their 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton