Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders seems to be the front runner in the competition.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders seems to be the front runner in the competition.
Todd Monken and the Cleveland Browns opened their offseason program this week, and the first-year head coach made his stance on the quarterback competition clear.
Speaking to reporters after the first time, Monken addressed a room that includes Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson.
“I thought all three guys were bright-eyed and ready to learn,” Monken said.
The Browns are fairly limited during Phase 1 of the offseason program. The voluntary program includes strength and conditioning, physical rehabilitation, and meetings. But even when the Browns do get on the field, Monken acknowledged that evaluating quarterbacks outside of a game has its limits.
“From a quarterback perspective, it’s a little bit more difficult because their No. 1 job is to get us in the end zone,” Monken said. “That’s a little harder to drill down for a couple of different reasons. You aren’t playing games, you don’t have pads on and nobody is live. You really don’t get a feel for the athleticism and the ability to escape and make plays.
“The game isn’t 7-on-7,” Monken said. “Who makes plays, who has the mental toughness to move the offense and get us in the end zone? And then who does the team believe in? Usually that correlates. The team is going to believe the guy who gives us the best chance to score and win.”
Monken: Sanders Has ‘Elite Playmaking’ Ability
That framework Monken laid out aligns with what he said about Sanders at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken said at the combine. “You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. But what rookie isn’t, I mean, what first year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So, I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and all of our players.”
Sanders has done his best to stay top of mind for Monken and the rest of the staff. He was a frequent presence at the Browns’ facility throughout the offseason.
“It’s been great that he’s been in the building,” Monken said of Sanders. “It’s refreshing to see a player that recognizes where he’s at and where he wants to get to.”
Deshaun Watson Wild Card for Browns
Watson remains a wild card. Owner Jimmy Haslam called it a “fresh start” for Watson under Monken and the team expects him to be in the mix for the starting job.
“I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt,” Monken said of Watson.
Watson missed all of last season following two Achilles surgeries. He’s appeared in just 19 games since arriving in 2022 via a blockbuster trade. Watson is entering the final year of his $230 million fully guaranteed contract. This season may represent the final chance for him to get his career back on track.
Gabriel is also in the mix and the Browns have been careful to not exclude him when discussing the quarterback situation. However, the former third-round pick is not expected to be under serious consideration to be the Week 1 starter.