The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Sunday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns conducted the second day of rookie minicamp on Saturday and it was also an opportunity for the media to speak with quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
The day also brought a look at changes coming to the running back position, some early impressions of the rookie class, and, oh by the way, a surprise retirement in New Orleans that the Browns may be able to capitalize on down the road.
All that and more in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow!
Dawgs By Nature:
- Cleveland Browns Hidden Gems: The secret superstars on the 2025 roster (Doug Farrar) – Whether GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski will be part of the Cleveland Browns latest rebuild that is a matter of conjecture at this point, but for the 2025 Browns to make a mark, it’s not just the stars who will have to step up. Here, we look at three “hidden gems” for the 2025 Browns: One underrated veteran, one underrated free-agent acquisition, and one underrated draft pick.
- Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders say the right things, show personality differences (Jared Mueller) – In an event that was ripe for proclamations, drama and sound clips that could be played for the rest of the offseason, Cleveland Browns QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders provided none of that. After being drafted two rounds apart, the more subdued Gabriel spoke first, with Sanders following his teammate in talking to the local media in person.
- Browns rebuilding RB room behind rookie duo (Thomas Moore) – They may not be Nick Chubb, but the Cleveland Browns are banking on Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson to carry the load at running back.
- Browns 2024 season: Surprising Jerome Ford, Nick Chubb data from last year (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns roster feels incomplete without Nick Chubb, while Jerome Ford was surprisingly on the right side of things.
- Browns free agency, draft: What grade would you give the offseason as a whole? (Curtiss Brown) – NFL free agency, the NFL Draft, and trades have reshaped the Cleveland Browns roster, but what grade would you give it?
- 5 non-drama reasons for Shedeur Sanders’ fall, the 2 he must overcome for the Browns (Curtis Brown and Jared Mueller) – Save the drama and rumors, Shedeur Sanders fell for a few reasons, but has 2 he must overcome.
- HC Kevin Stefanski impressed by draft class on Day 1 of Browns rookie minicamp (Damon Wolfe) – The Cleveland Browns head coach got to get his rookies out on the field for the first time and discussed it with the media afterwards.
- Browns encouraged to make trade for AFC receiver to fill big hole (Jared Mueller) – NFL trade rumors will start to swirl slowly as teams get a chance to look at their rosters in minicamps.
Cleveland Browns:
- Shedeur Sanders on not trying to prove people wrong, his popularity, following Tom Brady’s footsteps (Browns Zone) – Shedeur Sanders might always be known for his draft slide, but he refuses to dwell on it or be defined by it.
- Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel is unfazed by all the attention QB competition brings (cleveland.com) – No offense to Dillon Gabriel, but the wall of cameras in front of him and at least a handful of the reporters on either side of the podium he spoke at Saturday weren’t there for him. The Shedeur Sanders show is in town, and both quarterbacks spoke to the media for the first time in person at Browns rookie minicamp before taking the field for their Day 2 practice.
- ‘Me vs. me’: Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel focused inward in Browns QB competition (Beacon Journal) – Dillon Gabriel went to bed on the evening of April 25 as the only rookie quarterback on the Browns’ roster. By the time he went to bed the next day, the former Oregon quarterback had company.
NFL:
- How Saints QB Derek Carr’s shocking decision to retire came to fruition (nola.com) – At a church sermon last month, Derek Carr confirmed publicly for the first time that he was dealing with a shoulder injury. The New Orleans Saints quarterback, in that same session, cautioned against judging somebody because you never know what someone is fully going through. And on Saturday, Carr revealed his injury was much worse than previously known — so much so that he’s retiring.
- ‘We’ve all got to be connected’: The energy is infectious at Raiders rookie minicamp (raiders.com) – Whether it was a draft pick, an undrafted rookie free agent, or a tryout player – it seemed to be an even playing field at rookie minicamp with the Las Vegas Raiders.
- Jags’ Travis Hunter learning playbooks, to get D reps next week (ESPN) – Travis Hunter’s first appearance on defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars will come next week. Coach Liam Coen said the two-way standout has been learning the offensive and defensive playbooks, but they opted to have him just catch passes during the Jaguars’ two-day rookie camp that concluded Saturday. Instead, the team will get him some defensive reps for the first time during the last week of Phase II of the offseason conditioning program.