With OTAs in full swing, NFL teams are seeing what they have on their hands in terms of capable players on their rosters. The incumbent veterans don’t have much to prove, but new acquisitions and rookies have to make good impressions on the coaching staff during this period, in order to be in good standing before training camp and the preseason process begins. For teams with established franchise quarterbacks, everything is much simpler. For the Cleveland Browns, it’s not.
The team has put itself into an ambiguous position, pitting together four quarterbacks in order to find one starter: Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders. While it seems unlikely for a fifth round pick to jump over three quarterbacks on the depth chart, many believe Sanders will end up being the team’s starter at some point during this season. Sanders has looked sharp in practice and has built strong relationships with several Browns teammates already. And he has something the other quarterbacks don’t.
Shedeur Sanders’ confidence shines through and impresses Cleveland Browns color analyst Nathan Zegura
Nathan Zegura of the Cleveland Browns Radio Network recently spoke about the intricacies of the team’s quarterback battle, and he said something very intriguing about Sanders.
His ball placement is elite. His ability to layer throws is elite. I think he’s got plenty of arm strength, we’ve seen that on display, certainly in camp at times. There is something about Shedeur, I got a chance to interview him, very confident, but not in a cocky way. Has a lot of belief in himself. I like him. I like the kid a lot.
Zegura’s comments are important because he’s in the building with Sanders nearly every day. Zegura is the team’s color analyst during game days and co-hosts ESPN Cleveland’s daily Browns show throughout the week. But even though Sanders has that trademark confidence that makes him sound out, it doesn’t mean he’ll be the Browns’ starter.
In fact, Zegura believes Pickett should be the starter for Week 1 at least. He thinks the Browns’ beginning to the season, at least on paper, is more suitable for Pickett than the other contenders in the QB room. Most signs continue to point to the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback as the guy to begin the season, but his leash may not be very long if he doesn’t find success early on.
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