Browns Could Take Drastic Decision Against Shedeur Sanders After Rookie QB’s Sweet Message at Minicamp

The Browns had a clear message for Shedeur Sanders when they drafted him in the 5th round: “Prove everyone who passed on you wrong.” And since his first media availability Saturday, the QB has maintained, “My job here isn’t to prove people wrong. It’s to prove myself right.” Shedeur enters a crowded Browns QB room, which houses veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett alongside rookie Dillon Gabriel. But an early opportunity to impress in the form of rookie minicamp suggests there was no shortage of storylines.

Here are all the updates you need:

• At the rookie camp, Gabriel understandably took the first snaps ahead of Sanders.
• Sanders did get his fair shot on both 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills on what has been advertised as a four-man quarterback competition this summer. Although the real competition doesn’t start until later this spring, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski wanted competitive periods scripted to the rookie minicamp for the sole reason that each QB gets as many reps as possible.
• If these early signs are anything to go by, the fact that Sanders was the last of minicamp’s 47 participants to leave the practice field just to get in extra throws for 30 minutes holds a lot of promise.
• Early feedback from The Athletic’s Zac Jackson suggests that Gabriel, presumed to be ahead of him in the pecking order, is “not close” to Sanders when it comes to being the better player so far. “I’m impressed with the way Shedeur threw the ball, like it jumps off his hands and spins it.”
• Sanders, on the other hand, spoke to Cleveland’s senior media broadcaster, Nathan Zegura. When prompted to specify what it means to have Cleveland “understand him,” he said, “Understand, I work hard, and I love the game of football. That’s all you really need to know. And you know, I ain’t disrespectful. I don’t have off the field problems, so those three main things.”

All good up to this point, but here’s a counterargument from former Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck that threw caution to the wind. Speaking on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Monday, he brought up the rare quarterback battles of the rookies brewing in the NFL. “Every situation’s a little bit different, and I always viewed it as if it was an open competition.
“The reps are usually divvied up how they expect it to go, how they want it to go, where is their money invested. And so, for a late round pick (like Sanders), it’s tough. Like, if I’m being honest, there are going to be rare occasions – are you even getting snaps with the first-string center? Like, not in a live situation. And so there’s going to be all these things. You basically have to make the most of every single opportunity.” That’s correct. He explained his point further by recalling his own time in the league.

“I mean, going back to that rookie year, I remember Mike Homegrren saying to our team, the Green Bay Packers, he said, ‘Listen, I don’t care how much you make, where you were drafted, the best players are going to play.'” Then he said, “Now, granted, I expect Reggie White to be our starting defensive end. I expect Brett Favre to be our starting quarterback, but the best players will play.” I think the great organizations have the confidence to do that.”

Regardless, Sanders also received plaudits from NFL on FOX insider and former running back LeSean McCoy.“I got my sources…and they told me… that he looks like the best player out of the whole camp, [and he’s a] fifth-rounder,” McCoy said on FS1’s The Facility on Monday. “If you look at Shedeur Sanders, his mindset ain’t to be in no backup role with [the Browns]. He’s in there to start.” But head coach Kevin Stefanski warned against reading too much into any performances at this stage.

“I know this will probably fall on deaf ears, but don’t look too much into it, OK? There are plenty of reps. There’s a lot of time between now and September, so we’ll have a plan. But it’s an all-encompassing evaluation. It’s not something that it’s just based on the practice reps. There’s a lot that goes into it,” he said.

But having impressed in the minicamp with OTAs and training camp still to come, Sanders will have a chance to strengthen his claim. So far, the young QB is happy to be at his new home, as he posted a sweet message after his rookie minicamp.

Top Comment by xanegrey

give the kid a fair shot and he may surprise everyone…I predict he will start in 2 yrs – somehwere..but...more

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Shedeur Sanders has already started loving his teammates!

Shedeur Sanders finally hit the NFL field over the weekend, and man, it was a moment. Just weeks after that surprising slide to the fifth round, he showed up to the Browns’ rookie minicamp with something to prove. Although he split reps with Dillon Gabriel, his intense concentration was obvious. Sanders found his rhythm, hit touchdowns, and started connecting with his new receivers. Perhaps that’s the reason why he took to his official X account to share his feelings after the camp.

He said, “Thankful for every player a part of our Rookie minicamp. Great relationships were made during our time together.” Saying this, the QB even shared a picture of his team posing on the field at the camp. But he wasn’t the only one who was happy to be at the new place.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski also liked what he saw, calling both QBs super coachable. But now the real test begins. The vets are back, and it’s officially go-time. Shedeur Sanders is stepping into his first big challenge after college football. So, as Matt Hasselbeck pointed out, all he needs to do is just try to prove himself fit for the starter role.