OTAs (Organized Team Activities) continue for the Cleveland Browns, and reports about which quarterback is ahead in the battle for the starting spot are mixed. Some believe Shedeur Sanders is winning the battle, while others claim he’s not even getting reps with the first team.
The reality is that the Browns’ camp is completely divided over the quarterback battle between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. Although Head Coach Kevin Stefanski has said there is an “open competition,” reports indicate he’s leaning toward Flacco-at least to start the season.
Statistics from the OTAs have been leaked, showing Shedeur Sanders posting good numbers. However, these are from 7-on-7 drills, and Stefanski has warned that these situations shouldn’t be given much weight at this point.
Shedeur Sanders will end up winning the starting job
Right now, it seems Shedeur Sanders is at a disadvantage. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are both former first-round picks, Dillon Gabriel was selected in the third round of the most recent draft, and Sanders wasn’t picked until the fifth round. Still, it’s important to remember that Sanders was once projected to be a first-round talent.
Despite the circumstances, Shedeur Sanders has earned praise for how he’s handled this competition. On ESPN Cleveland’s “The Really Big Show,” host Q Myers gave positive comments about the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback.
“I think Shedeur Sanders is really going to end up winning the job,” said Myers. “But it’s going to be tough because he was a fifth-round pick, and practice reps are going to be very limited. He’s going to have to come in and put in extra work.”
Myers indicated that Sanders will win the starting job, but not right away. Everything seems to suggest Joe Flacco will be the starting QB in Week 1 against the Bengals, but he won’t have much room for error, because fans will be calling for Sanders.
“From my point of view, Flacco is the veteran-the guy who at least knows what he can do,” said Myers. “He’s the experienced one, he’ll come in and probably be QB1 to start, and then they’ll let the two young guys battle it out. I think we all know who Kenny Pickett is, so you can throw him into the mix if you want, but I think it all comes down to who has more spark: Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders? I think it’s Shedeur-I’ve thought that from day one.”
Shedeur Sanders, once a projected star entering the NFL, is now fighting an uphill battle after falling in the Draft. We’ll see if he can pull it off. If he does, it’ll be one of the great stories in all of sports.
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