WHO’S ACTUALLY SHOWING UP? MYLES GARRETT, DILLON GABRIEL, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY 1 OF THE MONKEN ERA

Today is Day 1 of Cleveland Browns voluntary offseason workouts, and I’ll be honest with you — the word “voluntary” is doing a lot of heavy lifting right now. Because whether or not certain guys choose to walk through those doors in Berea today tells us more about this team’s 2026 season than anything that happens once the pads actually come on.

Two names I’m watching more than anybody else: Myles Garrett (not a BIG DEAL) and Dillon Gabriel. Two completely different situations, two completely different reasons why their presence or absence matters. Let me break it down.

The Myles Garrett Question

Owner Jimmy Haslam already told us what to expect, saying flat out at the NFL owners meetings: “I doubt Myles is there on April 7.” Then he followed that up with “Myles hasn’t shown the need to be there” and “I think Myles will be ready to go.”

Technically, Haslam isn’t wrong. It’s voluntary. Nobody has to be there. But this isn’t a normal offseason, and that’s what makes a potential absence feel different.

Since the Browns hired Todd Monken as head coach, reports surfaced that the team had been unable to reach Garrett. Garrett himself acknowledged he hadn’t spoken with Monken face to face. His guy — Jim Schwartz — resigned after being passed over for the head coaching job. There’s real relational distance between Garrett and the new regime, and that matters.

Then came the contract move. The Browns modified Garrett’s deal to push his option bonus from late March all the way to seven days before the regular season. Before that change, a pre-draft trade would’ve triggered a $70.3 million dead cap hit. After the adjustment, that number drops to $41 million. The Browns insist it has nothing to do with a trade. But one opposing NFL executive told The Athletic: “The report of the option bonus date moving later makes me think Cleveland is planning on trading him.” That’s the gap between what’s being said publicly and what’s being said in private — and it’s hard to ignore.

Remember what’s at stake here. Garrett just set a new single-season franchise record with 23 sacks in 2025. He now has 125.5 career sacks — the most in Browns history. His value has never been higher. If he’s not in Berea today, the rumors don’t die — they get louder. Monken said on NFL Network: “I don’t see a time where I would not want Myles Garrett part of our team.” That’s strong. But we’ll see if Myles matches that energy today. ( NO I DO NOT THINK MYLES GETS TRADED)

The Dillon Garbiel Question Nobody’s Asking

Now here’s the name that keeps getting lost in all the noise — and it shouldn’t be.

While Shedeur Sanders has been a consistent presence in the team facility all offseason, Monken told reporters at the NFL annual meetings in late March that Gabriel has not been around. When ESPN’s Peter Schrager pressed him on it, Monken’s answer was simple: “I have not seen Dillon yet.”

Now to be clear — Monken didn’t draft Gabriel. That was Kevin Stefanski’s pick in the third round of the 2025 draft. Monken doesn’t have that same investment in him. So when the new head coach is already saying he hasn’t seen you, and this is the first offseason where you’re trying to prove yourself to a completely new staff — that’s a problem.

Schrager broke it down on The Pat McAfee Show: “Deshaun Watson, Monken has spoken to, but he hasn’t been around as much. Shedeur Sanders has been there every single day. Then Dillon Gabriel hasn’t been there.”

So let me get this straight. Real QB competition coming. New coaching staff watching everything. And Gabriel is the only one who hasn’t even checked in? That’s not a good look.

I’ll be fair to him though, because I think people have been too quick to write him off entirely. Mary Kay Cabot pointed out: “He’s hungry and he’s got something to prove and everybody has written him off in this competition. Dillon is a competitive guy. I know he hasn’t ruled himself out of this year and the Browns haven’t ruled him out. He’s going to come in here and press both of these guys.” And GM Andrew Berry backed that up at the Combine: “He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us. Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”

But here’s the reality. His future in Cleveland may be directly tied to the draft. If the Browns add a quarterback on April 23rd, a Gabriel trade becomes a real conversation — likely netting something like a seventh-round pick swap. If they don’t draft one, he stays and competes.

Not forgotten. Not secure either. And today — Day 1, the first day he CAN be in Berea — is the exact moment to flip that script. Show up. Be seen. Make Monken say your name for the right reasons.

What Today Actually Tells Us

With a new head coach who doesn’t owe loyalty to anybody on this roster, the guys who ARE in that building today are setting a tone early. Monken already said the reps won’t be divided evenly once things get going: “I don’t anticipate them being divided evenly… we’ll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to evaluate who we have.”

Somebody is going to see more work than everyone else. And the guy who’s been in the building all winter already has a head start. Myles Garrett not showing up is a storyline. Dillon Gabriel not showing up might be a death sentence for his Browns career.

We’ll see who shows up.