Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders appears to have a legitimate chance of starting in Week 1, according to one NFL insider.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano was on Monday’s episode on “NFL Live” and said he believes Sanders will be given a legitimate chance to show that he could be the starter this season.
“Kevin Stefanski put in some seven-on-seven passing drills to give Sanders and Dillon Gabriel reps they don’t usually get at rookie minicamps,” Graziano said. “The team will be mindful throughout the offseason of giving everyone a fair number of reps so they can make an informed decision. It’s a wide-open competition among those four players, and they are open to the idea of any of them winning the job.”
Sanders reportedly performed well during minicamp. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot said he and rookie Gabriel completed most of their passes, even though they were primarily throwing to undrafted rookies and tryout players.
The possibility of Sanders taking over the starting role could be one of the season’s most intriguing storylines. Sanders was once mentioned as a potential first-round selection before tumbling to the fifth round. His dramatic drop wasn’t the only surprise; the fact that the Browns selected Sanders after drafting Gabriel in the third round has raised questions about who really made the decision to take him.
Graziano also noted that veteran Joe Flacco could start OTAs and training camp as the No. 1 quarterback because of his experience, but every player will get plenty of reps. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett, whom the Browns acquired from the Eagles in a March trade, is also looking to stand out and may have the most on the line because he is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.