What happened to Shedeur Sanders during the last NFL Draft remains a mystery, and perhaps no one will ever truly know the full story. What is certain, however, is that the son of legendary cornerback and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has managed to secure a spot with the Cleveland Browns. For now, Shedeur holds the third-string quarterback position on the depth chart, sitting behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
This situation, which stirred considerable debate throughout the preseason and continues to generate plenty of discussion, has become a focal point for analysts and fans alike. Skip Bayless, known for his sharp and often controversial takes, used his online show to express his confusion and frustration over the Browns’ handling of the two young quarterbacks. Bayless specifically questioned how Gabriel not only landed on the roster but currently sits ahead of Shedeur.
Maybe there’s a glimmer of hope provided by his father. So before the draft, Shedeur and Deion did have dinner with Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns. And even though they didn’t want to go to the Browns in the first round, the sorry a* Browns, they did like Jimmy Haslam, and he liked them, and Jimmy would love to rub elbows with Deion and, in turn, his son.”*
Bayless went on to suggest that Haslam’s decision to draft Shedeur may have been motivated more by publicity than pure football evaluation.
Jimmy Haslam loves publicity, and he knew that once the fifth round hit, if he told his GM and his head coach, ‘We are taking Shedeur,’ it would cause quite a big publicity splash. You can call it a publicity stunt, if you will. Kevin Stefanski wanted zero to do with Shedeur Sanders. They had already taken, 50 slots earlier, Dillon Gabriel. I’m going to tell you again about Dillon Gabriel. I watched him a lot at Oklahoma. He’s a little better than Tua, and he’s right out of the Tua mold. … He’s better than Tua, but he’s not better than Shedeur.
ESPN analyst Mike Greenberg joins the criticism of Dillon Gabriel
Adding fuel to the debate, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg shared his perspective during a segment on ESPN Cleveland. He openly questioned how Gabriel was rated above Shedeur by the Browns’ front office and scouting department.
There is not one draft analyst, not one, who said this guy can’t play at all. The idea that all of a sudden we’ve decided he can’t play, there’s not one who hasn’t rated Dillon Gabriel, not one I prepare for the draft. I start studying these guys. … There is no one person. Go back and find me one draft analyst who had Dillon Gabriel rated ahead of Shedeur Sanders.
Greenberg further highlighted that many of the strengths attributed to Gabriel were the very same qualities scouts had previously praised in Shedeur.
So I personally am confounded. And the things people are saying that Dillon Gabriel does well – processing and all that stuff – are exactly the things people were telling me that Shedeur did well.
As things stand, Shedeur’s future in Cleveland remains uncertain. Head coach Kevin Stefanski’s apparent lack of confidence in the young quarterback leaves open questions about whether Sanders will have a real opportunity to move up the depth chart or if he will remain in a supporting role.
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