Shedeur Sanders has looked good throughout OTAs, leading some to believe that he has a strong chance of becoming the Cleveland Browns’ QB1. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently took the time to pump the brakes on that sentiment.
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Every football fan has been tracking Shedeur’s progress since he became an NFL Draft prospect. It was initially believed that he would be a highly drafted first-round pick. But scouts were skeptical, and they showed their skepticism by allowing him to free-fall to the fifth round in the Draft. Despite this, Shedeur showed out during rookie OTAs and impressed us all with his arm talent in clips that went viral online.
However, Fowler says that people in Cleveland aren’t putting too much stock in Shedeur’s good performance so far. That’s largely because they recognize his flashes of brilliance came against minimal pass rush and weak competition.
“Shedeur Sanders did impress in the Spring. He was willing to throw the ball in tight windows, he was accurate. But when you ask people with Cleveland, they do bring some caution there. Look, he was working against the 3rd team a lot. Not much of a pass rush. He’s got a ways to go,” the analyst shared on NFL Live.
It’s not the wrong approach coming from Cleveland. Teams should be wary of crowning players as gems before they’ve taken a snap in the NFL. It’s just surprising that a team that is usually so incompetent with QB management is taking a smart approach for once. The Browns have had 40 different QBs start since 1999, and only 3 of them have led them to winning seasons.
One of those 3 guys was Joe Flacco, whom Fowler talked about, along with Kenny Pickett’s chances of being QB1.
“Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, trading blows, getting a lot of different throws, working opposite fields. First team, second team, third team. And then Kevin Stefanski will crystallize the pecking order. I do expect Joe Flacco to be in the mix there. He’s certainly the incumbent, probably the favorite at this point,” Fowler said.
When Flacco signed his contract with the Browns, many expected him to get the Week 1 start. He’s an established veteran who’s been around for 17 seasons. As mentioned, Flacco just led Cleveland to a playoff appearance down the stretch of 2023. Surely, he has to be the favorite to start over two rookies and a first-round bust on his third team in 4 years.
Ryan Clark echoed that belief, as he jumped in and said that he doesn’t expect Shedeur or Dillon Gabriel to start Week 1. But he does want to see them in the fold.
“I don’t expect either of these rookies to be the day 1 starter. But I expect them to get reps at some point,” Clark stated.
The former NFL safety then offered coach Stefanski some advice on how to deal with Shedeur, Dillon, and the entire QB-room situation.
“Kevin Stefanski needs to figure out early on if Kenny Pickett is going to be our day 1, let’s get him the reps to be ready. But whichever one of these rookies seems more ready to play his first year, let’s make sure he’s prepared to be the backup,” Clark added.
It would be surprising if Pickett were handed the keys as the QB1 off the bat. He’s a smart player who understands the intangibles of the game, but he also can’t make certain throws. Not to mention, he makes bad decisions and is inconsistent even during the times he plays well.
In our opinion, Flacco should get the nod in Week 1. But it should be viewed as a fluid situation. While Flacco is serviceable, he also has shown us that he tends to run out of gas after a few good games. Which isn’t surprising for a 40-year-old guy.
When Flacco inevitably goes belly up, who is the replacement? That’s the million-dollar question we all want an answer to. Pickett would be a disappointing choice even if he’s performed admirably in camp, as unfair as that sounds. The fans want to see either Gabriel or Shedeur get their shot. The Browns should too, as both were wildly successful college QBs with a ton of potential.
