CLEVELAND, Ohio — The media gets a snapshot. The coaches see the full picture. That’s the reality of NFL offseason programs that became clear when Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been taking 11-on-11 reps despite reporters not witnessing them during open practices.
This revelation highlights a critical aspect of quarterback evaluation that often goes unnoticed: the significant difference between looking good in controlled passing drills versus performing under pressure with defensive linemen bearing down.
“Kevin Stefanski today confirmed another thing we’ve kind of been talking about, just this idea we don’t see everything. We only get to go to a limited amount of practices,” said Dan Labbe during the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “Right now Shedeur has been taking 11-on-11 reps. So he’s getting those team reps. We haven’t seen them. We don’t know how they’ve been going, but he is getting them, which is a good sign because obviously when we were out there, he looked very much like the fourth string quarterback.”
This dichotomy between public perception and behind-the-scenes development creates an evaluation gap that’s particularly challenging when assessing rookie quarterbacks. While media and fans might form early impressions based on 7-on-7 drills, coaches understand these settings simply don’t provide enough context for legitimate assessment.
Labbe emphasized this point clearly: “You just can’t judge this stuff in seven-on-seven. I mean, everybody should look good in seven-on-seven, especially at the quarterback position.”
The limitations of controlled drills become especially apparent when examining what truly matters in quarterback development. Without defensive linemen creating pressure, even basic elements of quarterback play remain untested.
“My concerns with him are how he deals with the pass rush,” Labbe explained. “The very first throw we saw him making rookie minicamp, which, again, I thought he was very good in, very first throw, we saw him kind of drift into pressure and just kind of lob the ball to the left. So those are the things that we need to see from him, how he deals with that stuff.”
This insight reveals why NFL teams place such emphasis on full-team periods. A quarterback might deliver perfect spirals in controlled environments but completely fall apart when facing elite pass rushers like Myles Garrett. Those pressure moments reveal processing speed, pocket awareness, and decision-making under duress – qualities that separate developmental prospects from NFL-ready talent.
Mary Kay Cabot emphasized the competitive fairness aspect: “It is important that this competition is a level playing field. You really can’t say that Shedeur Sanders is not pulling his weight in the competition if he’s not yet getting a chance to participate in those 11-on-11s.”
For rookies like Sanders, these full-team reps represent the critical next step in development. While fans and media might be eager to make early judgments, the reality is that meaningful evaluation requires patience and a complete picture.
The most revealing QB assessments will come during training camp and joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles, where the speed increases and the environment more closely resembles game situations. Until then, the Browns’ coaching staff will continue their comprehensive evaluation behind closed doors, collecting crucial data points from 11-on-11 scenarios that provide the full context necessary for legitimate quarterback assessment.
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