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Shedeur Sanders must be grateful to the Cleveland Browns for stopping his NFL Draft slide in the fifth round, but Cleveland is one of the worst possible spots for the former Colorado star to land. Even if he gets to play as a rookie, this could be the beginning of a rocky journey that leads to multiple teams before he finds a home.
The Browns entered the draft with a solid plan to address the quarterback situation. Trade out of the No. 2 pick — and the right to draft Travis Hunter — to get Jacksonville’s 2026 first-round pick and ensure they’ll have enough capital to take their QB of the future next year. That plan may still be in place despite drafting Sanders and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. There’s no reason to think they’ll improve dramatically from last season’s 3-14 record with either of those rookies. Now they’ve courted unnecessary controversy by having Sanders in their eclectic quarterback room.
A quarterback’s initial success is dependent on the situation. Sanders did land with QB-friendly coach Kevin Stefanski. But everything else is stacked against him. He’ll compete in camp with former first-rounder Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco -- who won the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year in Stefanski’s offense -- and Gabriel.
Shedeur Sanders was the 144th player taken on Day 3 of the draft.Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images
Even if Sanders does earn playing time, the Browns did little to improve an offensive unit that ranked No. 28 in the NFL last season. They drafted a running back in the second round and a tight end in the third. They’re waiting until their next quarterback arrives to put real resources into improving that side of the ball.
Fans of Sanders will point out that he entered an impossible situation in Colorado and helped turned the Buffaloes around. But he had the full support of the entire program in Boulder. There’s no reason to believe that he has that kind of buy-in with the Browns. The coaching staff and personnel department liked Gabriel more during the draft. And if they get a top pick next season, that is the player everyone in the building will get behind, not Sanders.
The track record of quarterbacks who land in the wrong spot isn’t good. Sanders could have the same career trajectory as players like Geno Smith and Sam Darnold. The two former Jets quarterbacks took years to find the right spot.
Normally, a fifth-round pick wouldn’t raise any of these concerns. No one cared if the Giants didn’t give Jake Fromm a fair shot. Based on all the attention that Sanders got this weekend, he will be an exception to every rule. His playing status will be a constant talking point this season. Any time Pickett or Flacco throws a pick, the camera will find Sanders on the sideline.
If Sanders does get on the field and is either very good or bad, the Browns will dodge a thorny situation. If he’s outstanding, that’s great for everyone. Cleveland can take advantage of his rookie salary-cap slot and build around him. If he’s really bad, fine, stick with the original plan of finding their guy in the ’26 draft.
The most likely outcome is that Sanders shows signs of promise but not enough to dissuade the team from drafting a quarterback next season. All the controversy from this past week will be back next year. “Should the Browns take a quarterback?” would become the permanent A block of every ESPN show. Deion would certainly weigh in. And the coach and GM would be forced to address “the Shedeur situation” at every press conference.
After the trade with the Jaguars, the insiders on the NFL Network set and pretty much anyone with a social media account immediately linked the Browns to Arch Manning. They noted that owner Jimmy Haslam has a strong relationship with the Manning family and would be thrilled to get him even if it meant a very bad season.
As of right now, Cleveland’s projected win total is at 5.5 and Jacksonville is at 7.5. The Browns have a great chance to get up to No. 1 and would jump on Manning if he enters the draft. Even if Manning goes back to school, other options will be available.
Sanders and his family didn’t seem to seriously weigh other options besides being a starter coming into the draft. Given the choice, they probably would have told teams with established starters to pass on Shedeur. Sanders is clearly a competitive person and wants to play. But sitting behind a strong veteran would have been a safer path for Sanders to develop than Cleveland.
The ideal spot for Sanders would have been the Los Angeles Rams. He could learn from fellow Dallas native Matthew Stafford for a season or two while mastering coach Sean McVay’s offense. No one would expect him to play and he would enter next season in a positive place. But the Rams didn’t bite.
Sanders would have also benefited from going to a stable franchise even if there was no opportunity to earn the full-time job. Sitting behind Patrick Mahomes and learning from Andy Reid in Kansas City or Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia would have given Sanders a chance to regroup and find a better situation in the future.
None of this is an indictment of Sanders’ talent. He might have the skill to be a 12-year starter and multiple-time Pro Bowler. A lot of quarterbacks who get taken by the wrong team have had the talent, but they end up as journeymen.
Normal fifth-round picks don’t get a lot of shots. Even ones who had some college notoriety like Aaron Murray, A.J. McCarron or recent Cleveland Browns backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Sam Howell, who was pick No. 144 just like Sanders, threw for 3,496 yards in his second season in Washington and he’s already on his third team at just 24.
Sanders is probably happy with the Browns organization right now. But if his career plays out like most late-round picks ... or even first-round picks by the Browns ... those positive feelings won’t last.
Continue reading...
The Browns entered the draft with a solid plan to address the quarterback situation. Trade out of the No. 2 pick — and the right to draft Travis Hunter — to get Jacksonville’s 2026 first-round pick and ensure they’ll have enough capital to take their QB of the future next year. That plan may still be in place despite drafting Sanders and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. There’s no reason to think they’ll improve dramatically from last season’s 3-14 record with either of those rookies. Now they’ve courted unnecessary controversy by having Sanders in their eclectic quarterback room.
A quarterback’s initial success is dependent on the situation. Sanders did land with QB-friendly coach Kevin Stefanski. But everything else is stacked against him. He’ll compete in camp with former first-rounder Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco -- who won the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year in Stefanski’s offense -- and Gabriel.
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Shedeur Sanders was the 144th player taken on Day 3 of the draft.Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images
Even if Sanders does earn playing time, the Browns did little to improve an offensive unit that ranked No. 28 in the NFL last season. They drafted a running back in the second round and a tight end in the third. They’re waiting until their next quarterback arrives to put real resources into improving that side of the ball.
Fans of Sanders will point out that he entered an impossible situation in Colorado and helped turned the Buffaloes around. But he had the full support of the entire program in Boulder. There’s no reason to believe that he has that kind of buy-in with the Browns. The coaching staff and personnel department liked Gabriel more during the draft. And if they get a top pick next season, that is the player everyone in the building will get behind, not Sanders.
The track record of quarterbacks who land in the wrong spot isn’t good. Sanders could have the same career trajectory as players like Geno Smith and Sam Darnold. The two former Jets quarterbacks took years to find the right spot.
Normally, a fifth-round pick wouldn’t raise any of these concerns. No one cared if the Giants didn’t give Jake Fromm a fair shot. Based on all the attention that Sanders got this weekend, he will be an exception to every rule. His playing status will be a constant talking point this season. Any time Pickett or Flacco throws a pick, the camera will find Sanders on the sideline.
If Sanders does get on the field and is either very good or bad, the Browns will dodge a thorny situation. If he’s outstanding, that’s great for everyone. Cleveland can take advantage of his rookie salary-cap slot and build around him. If he’s really bad, fine, stick with the original plan of finding their guy in the ’26 draft.
The most likely outcome is that Sanders shows signs of promise but not enough to dissuade the team from drafting a quarterback next season. All the controversy from this past week will be back next year. “Should the Browns take a quarterback?” would become the permanent A block of every ESPN show. Deion would certainly weigh in. And the coach and GM would be forced to address “the Shedeur situation” at every press conference.
After the trade with the Jaguars, the insiders on the NFL Network set and pretty much anyone with a social media account immediately linked the Browns to Arch Manning. They noted that owner Jimmy Haslam has a strong relationship with the Manning family and would be thrilled to get him even if it meant a very bad season.
As of right now, Cleveland’s projected win total is at 5.5 and Jacksonville is at 7.5. The Browns have a great chance to get up to No. 1 and would jump on Manning if he enters the draft. Even if Manning goes back to school, other options will be available.
Sanders and his family didn’t seem to seriously weigh other options besides being a starter coming into the draft. Given the choice, they probably would have told teams with established starters to pass on Shedeur. Sanders is clearly a competitive person and wants to play. But sitting behind a strong veteran would have been a safer path for Sanders to develop than Cleveland.
The ideal spot for Sanders would have been the Los Angeles Rams. He could learn from fellow Dallas native Matthew Stafford for a season or two while mastering coach Sean McVay’s offense. No one would expect him to play and he would enter next season in a positive place. But the Rams didn’t bite.
Sanders would have also benefited from going to a stable franchise even if there was no opportunity to earn the full-time job. Sitting behind Patrick Mahomes and learning from Andy Reid in Kansas City or Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia would have given Sanders a chance to regroup and find a better situation in the future.
None of this is an indictment of Sanders’ talent. He might have the skill to be a 12-year starter and multiple-time Pro Bowler. A lot of quarterbacks who get taken by the wrong team have had the talent, but they end up as journeymen.
Normal fifth-round picks don’t get a lot of shots. Even ones who had some college notoriety like Aaron Murray, A.J. McCarron or recent Cleveland Browns backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Sam Howell, who was pick No. 144 just like Sanders, threw for 3,496 yards in his second season in Washington and he’s already on his third team at just 24.
Sanders is probably happy with the Browns organization right now. But if his career plays out like most late-round picks ... or even first-round picks by the Browns ... those positive feelings won’t last.
Related: Why Shedeur Sanders Can Have the Last Laugh
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Related: How the Seahawks Can Turn QB Jalen Milroe Into Their Future King
Continue reading...
